In a major breakthrough in the ongoing probe into the Mahadev App, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said it has arrested a key accused
and alleged kingpin of the illegal betting network. The accused has been identified as Abhishek Kumar. “Kumar was arrested immediately after his arrival from Dubai at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. Investigation conducted so far has revealed the active role of Abhishek Kumar in running online betting and gambling operations under Mahadev Book, coordinating the panels, collecting funds and acquiring immovable assets in Dubai out of the ill-gotten proceeds of betting and gambling,” the CBI said on Thursday. “Efforts are being made to bring the main promoters of the Mahadev Betting App back to India to face trial. Seven Red Notices and two extradition proposals have been sent, and extradition proceedings against two accused are underway,” the CBI said in a statement. The two individuals are Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal. In June, Saurabh Chandrakar was detained in Oman, while Ravi Uppal is suspected to have fled the UAE. He was last reportedly spotted in Vanuatu. The CBI said it is making all efforts “to bring all those involved in the illegal betting operations to justice and to identify and trace the proceeds of crime generated through them.” The anti-corruption probe agency said the seized material prima facie shows Kumar’s active role in the operation of the Mahadev Betting App. “Kumar worked closely with other main accused, namely Saurabh Chandrakar and Shubham Soni,” the CBI said. Saurabh Chandrakar and Shubham Soni are two of the three alleged promoters of the Mahadev App. The CBI subsequently took Kumar on transit remand and produced him before a Raipur court, seeking his custodial interrogation. The Chhattisgarh government had transferred 13 FIRs registered across the state relating to the Mahadev Betting App to the CBI. After completing its investigation, the CBI has filed eight chargesheets against 100 accused persons, including the main promoters of the Mahadev Betting App, panel operators, hawala operators and public servants of the Chhattisgarh government.
Mahadev App : India's Biggest Illegal Betting App
Illegal betting app Mahadev App has generated an astonishing Rs 75000- 80,000 crore worth of proceeds of crime between 2019-26.ED has filed it's final supplementary chargesheet recently.
In 2023 ED registered an ECIR and initiated a money laundering investigations on a clutch of FIRs filed in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. These FIRs were filed after youngsters lost huge amount of money while playing on illegal betting apps connected on Mahadev App
Enforcement Directorate has for the first time quantified total proceeds of crime generated from Mahadev App
Probe agency has calculated the promoters, panel operators every year generate proceeds of crime around Rs 11,4000 crores. Mahadev App is in operation since 2019. ED in its supplementary chargesheet filed in a Raipur court has said Mahadev App is still "in operation" and is "running huge number of panels'
Thereby total estimated proceeds of crime generated by Mahadev Online Booking Application can be estimated as Rs 75000 - Rs 80,000 crores. Majority of proceeds of crime generated by the syndicate was layered and transferred to the promoters in Dubai . Investigations further revealed that each panel earned around Rs 10 lakh per week. This is distributed between panel operator and head office (HO) . This is generation of around Rs 40 lakh per month.
ED investigation revealed that for Mahadev App, 3200 panels are working actively in India and abroad . Approximately Rs 950 crores
