11 October,2024 11:08 AM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Sourabh Chandrakar, the alleged online gambling kingpin
Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev betting app, is expected to be deported to India soon after his recent formal arrest in Dubai. The arrest was made according to an Interpol order issued in connection with the money laundering and fraud investigation, PTI's government sources revealed to the news agency on Friday.
Chandrakar and colleague promoter Ravi Uppal were arrested last year after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought a Red Notice from Interpol in the Mahadev betting app case. According to the news agency report, Chandrakar may be extradited or deported to India within the next few days following his recent detention in Dubai.
The ED's investigation into the Mahadev app case has revealed the alleged involvement of prominent politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the home state of Chandrakar and Uppal. The Mahadev Online Book app operates as an umbrella platform that facilitates illegal betting by allowing users to register, create accounts, and launder money through a complex network of benami (proxy) bank accounts, the PTI report stated.
According to the report, to date, the ED has arrested 11 individuals in connection with the Mahadev app case, and two charge sheets have been filed, including against Chandrakar and Uppal. The estimated illegal proceeds from the operation amount to around Rs 6,000 crore.
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The ED also alleged that Chandrakar spent nearly Rs 200 crore in cash on his lavish wedding in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023. Private jets were used to transport his relatives from India to the UAE, and Bollywood celebrities were paid to perform at the event. The agency claims that illegal funds generated from the app were distributed as bribes to politicians and bureaucrats, and several celebrities have been summoned for questioning regarding their involvement with the betting platform.
In November last year, the ED had conducted searches against the money laundering networks related to the Mahadev app case which led to the recovery of cash of Rs 5.39 crore and a bank balance of Rs 15.59 crore. Moreover, Mustakim, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, is one of the persons implicated in the case.
