The Daily PulseGeneral
Enforcement Directorate arrests Mahadev betting app co-promoter Saurabh Chandrakar
Reported by Aditya Chauhan (Staff Writer) · The Hindu - National ·
The Directorate of Enforcement has arrested Saurabh Chandrakar, co-owner and promoter of the Mahadev Online Book illegal betting syndicate, following his custody handover. A special PMLA court in Raipur remanded Chandrakar to Enforcement Directorate custody for seven days until November 19 to aid ongoing money laundering investigations.
Investigation Details
An Enforcement Directorate official stated that Chandrakar will face questioning alongside statements from his associates, digital data, and foreign entity documents. Chandrakar and co-promoter Ravi Uppal operated the syndicate from a Dubai head office using betting panels across India and the United Arab Emirates, routing player funds through proxy bank accounts and hawala channels. The agency estimates the syndicate earned about ₹450 crore a month.
Legal History
Chandrakar ignored Enforcement Directorate summons issued in September 2023 and evaded law enforcement before a special court issued a non-bailable warrant in September 2023, followed by an Interpol Red Notice. The Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed his challenge to the warrant in March 2025. Chandrakar obtained a Vanuatu passport while holding an Indian one and claimed he surrendered Indian citizenship in June 2022.
Seizures and Arrests
Investigators have searched about 190 premises, seized or frozen about ₹2,000 crore, and attached properties valued at about ₹3,500 crore, including about ₹1,800 crore abroad and 22 immovable properties in Dubai. Chandrakar is the fifteenth person arrested in this case, which includes six prosecution complaints filed against 116 accused. The agency also traced about ₹200 crore in cash spent on Chandrakar's wedding in Ras Al Khaimah in February 2023 through event companies, hotels, and angadia firms.
Context
Financial crime agencies track illegal betting rings by following money trails through proxy accounts and hawala networks to uncover overseas assets. Investigations of this scale often involve extensive property attachments and international coordination across multiple jurisdictions.
ExplainerWhy this matters
What Happened
The Directorate of Enforcement arrested Saurabh Chandrakar, co-promoter of the illegal Mahadev Online Book betting syndicate, and placed him in seven-day custody following previous CBI custody and legal proceedings.
Why It Matters
This case exposes vast transnational financial networks operating illegal online gambling platforms across India and the United Arab Emirates. The alleged movement of billions of rupees through proxy accounts, foreign entities, and hawala channels highlights major vulnerabilities in digital payment ecosystems and cross-border financial regulation.
What Happens Next
Investigators will confront Chandrakar with digital data, foreign asset documents, and witness statements during his custody period. The Enforcement Directorate is expected to further pursue international asset recovery, trace remaining financial links, and potentially file supplementary prosecution complaints as the wider probe continues.
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