UAE arrests Saurabh Chandrakar, mastermind of the Mahadev betting app case, facing imminent extradition
Following an Interpol Red Notice, Chandrakar faces extradition as investigations reveal extensive criminal operations
UAE Arrests Mahadev Betting App Promoter Saurabh Chandrakar Amid Money Laundering Investigation
Mahadev betting app promoter Saurabh Chandrakar was arrested in Dubai following an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate.
The Enforcement Directorate may send a formal surrender request as soon as possible. The investigating agency was informed about the arrest on Thursday.
Following the ED’s request to issue a Red Notice (RN) against them, Chandrakar and another app promoter, Ravi Uppal, were held in the nation towards the end of last year.
According to sources, Chandrakar, who was recently formally detained in Dubai, is anticipated to be deported to India or elsewhere in the coming days.
The ED has alleged the nexus of various top politicians and officials from Chandragarh and Uppal states of Chhattisgarh in its probe into the Mahadev Online Book (MOP) gaming and betting app.
The MOB app, according to the federal agency, is an umbrella syndicate that organizes online sites to run illegal betting websites to recruit new users, create user IDs and launder money through a layered web of bogus bank accounts.
The enforcement department has arrested a total of 11 people in this case so far. Two chargesheets have been filed by the agency so far, including two advertisers.
According to the agency, the proceeds of crime in this case are around Rs 6,000 crore.
The ED said in its chargesheet that Chandrakar paid almost Rs 200 crore in “cash” for his February 2023 wedding in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
The company claimed that celebrities were paid to perform at the wedding and that private jets were leased to transport Chandrakar’s relatives from India to the United Arab Emirates.
It said the illegal funds generated through the app were shared as bribes to politicians and officials in the state, while several celebrities and Bollywood actors have been questioned over the payment method and links with the online betting platform.
