New Delhi: Illegal betting app Mahadev App generated an astonishing Rs 75,000–80,000 crore worth of proceeds of crime between 2019 and 2026, the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) has said. The ED filed its final supplementary chargesheet in the case before a Raipur court on Monday. In 2023, the ED registered an ECIR and initiated a money-laundering investigation based on a clutch of FIRs filed in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The FIRs were registered after several youngsters allegedly lost huge amounts of money while playing on illegal betting apps connected to the Mahadev App. The Enforcement Directorate has, for the first time, quantified the total proceeds of crime generated through the Mahadev App. According to the ED, promoters and panel operators generated around Rs 11,400 crore in proceeds of crime every year. The Mahadev App has been in operation since 2019. In its supplementary chargesheet filed before a Raipur court, the ED said the Mahadev App is still "in operation" and is "running a huge number of panels". The total estimated proceeds of crime generated through the Mahadev Online Book application can, therefore, be estimated at Rs 75,000–80,000 crore, according to the ED. The ED said a majority of the 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 amount was distributed between the panel operator and the head office (HO), generating around Rs 40 lakh per month. The ED investigation revealed that around 3,200 panels were actively operating in India and abroad. Approximately Rs 950 crore in proceeds of crime was being generated every month, at an average earning of around Rs 30 lakh per panel per month. With 3,200 active panels, the annual figure comes to around Rs 11,400 crore, according to the agency.
Lavish Wedding In Dubai
The ED said proceeds of crime generated by the promoters were being layered and invested to acquire assets abroad.
"Large expenditure in cash is also being done in India for advertising of betting websites and self-aggrandisement necessary to attract new users and franchise (panel) seekers," officials said.
The ED investigation has also focused on how crores of rupees were spent on Saurabh Chandrakar's wedding.
In February 2023, Saurabh Chandrakar got married in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), UAE. According to the ED, the promoters of Mahadev Online Book spent around Rs 200 crore in cash on the wedding ceremony.
Private jets were hired to ferry family members from Nagpur, India, to the UAE.
Celebrities were hired to perform at the wedding, while wedding planners, dancers and decorators were hired from Mumbai. Illegal channels, including hawala, were allegedly used to make payments in cash.
Per digital evidence gathered by the ED, Rs 112 crore was allegedly delivered through illegal channels (hawala) to an event management company, while hotel bookings worth Rs 42 crore were allegedly paid for in cash in AED.
In its supplementary chargesheet in the Mahadev App case, the ED has named Nishant Pitti of EaseMyTrip as an accused, officials said. A statement from EaseMyTrip is awaited.
After investigating the case for three years, the ED has not named former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as an accused. However, in 2023, the probe agency had claimed that the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) had received protection money. Baghel continues to remain an accused in the CBI FIR.
The ED has also alleged that a systematic operation was being run locally with the active support and connivance of local police and politicians. According to the agency, bureaucrats and politically exposed persons (PEPs) received illegal gratification for turning a blind eye to the illegal betting racket.
The ED's investigation further revealed that betting proceeds were being invested in the Indian stock market through the Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) route.
The agency also alleged that an accused employed several associates as directors in various companies that were involved in layering betting proceeds through investments in the stock market.
Mahadev App promoters continue to remain on the run. On India's request, Saurabh Chandrakar was detained in Oman in June.
