₹ 6000 crore Mahadev betting app case: CBI files six chargesheets, names ‘mastermind’ Saurabh Chandrakar, Ravi Uppal | Today’s news
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed six charge sheets in connection with the alleged ₹6,000 crore betting app Mahadev scam and a related corruption case that names the platform’s alleged mastermind and founder Saurabh Chandrakar, co-founder Ravi Uppal and others, officials said on Thursday.
The filing comes as Indian authorities continue efforts to bring Chandrakar back from Oman, where he was detained earlier last month, they said, adding that investigations were still ongoing to “uncover the full extent of this syndicate as well as its political and bureaucratic patronage”.
Officials said the CBI on Wednesday filed five out of six chargesheets against 66 accused, including Chandrakar, Uppal and members of various panels of betting syndicates they allegedly used to channel proceeds of crime.
The agency has booked the accused under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 in these five record sheets.
6. record sheet
Officials said the CBI has also filed a sixth chargesheet in the Mahadev betting syndicate corruption case, naming Ashim Das, Rohit Gulati, Vikas Chhaparia, Anil Dhammani, Vishal Ahuja and Dheeraj Ahuja as accused. The charges include offenses under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 along with cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code.
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“The CBI has also filed additional evidence against kingpins Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, as well as others who were accused earlier,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
According to a CBI spokesperson, the Mahadev app has emerged as one of India’s largest illegal betting syndicates operating from overseas. The spokesperson claimed that founder Saurabh Chandrakar and co-founder Ravi Uppal have expanded the platform into a nationwide network that has reached millions of users through social media.
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“The CBI investigation revealed that the syndicate allegedly operated illegal betting ‘panels’ across the country, registered users and operated games and betting markets and generated illegal profits which were then laundered through a network of mule accounts and eventually transferred abroad,” the spokesman said.
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The agency further alleged that some of the illegal proceeds were paid to government employees as “protection money”.
The spokesperson added, “Investigations have revealed that the promoters of the Mahadev app and several of their associates fled to West Asian countries a few years ago and continued to operate the network outside India.”
The CBI has secured Interpol Red Notices against the four accused who are currently staying overseas. The agency also said it has initiated proceedings to declare them fugitive economic offenders.
She mentioned that investigations are continuing to identify the full extent of the betting syndicate’s operations, including its alleged political and bureaucratic ties, and bring all those involved to justice. She added that more charges will be filed as the investigation progresses.
The Royal Oman Police arrested Saurabh Chandrakar, a 30-year-old native of Chhattisgarh, a few weeks ago after issuing an Interpol Red Notice at the request of Indian investigative agencies.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency, Mahadev’s app operated as a large-scale international betting syndicate that allegedly facilitated illegal betting through various online platforms and domain names, including Tiger Exchange, Gold365 and Laser247.
The agency said the syndicate operated through a franchise network of betting “panels” and “branches” managed by associates across India, while its alleged promoters, Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, directed and supervised the operation from Dubai.
