Saurabh Chandrakar Arrested in Mahadev Online Betting Case, Remanded to ED Custody Until November 19
Saurabh Chandrakar, co-owner of Mahadev Online Betting, has been arrested and remanded to ED custody for further investigation into money laundering.
Raipur, November 13 (Daily Kiran) : Saurabh Chandrakar, co-owner and promoter of the illegal betting syndicate Mahadev Online Book, has been arrested and placed in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) until November 19 by a special court in Raipur. This decision was confirmed by an official on November 13.
The ED secured Chandrakar’s arrest under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, with the court’s approval. During his time in custody, the ED plans to present evidence, including statements from his associates, digital data, documents related to his foreign companies, and other materials linked to money laundering activities.
According to the ED, Chandrakar and fellow co-promoter Ravi Uppal operated Mahadev Online Book from their headquarters in Dubai, managing multiple online betting websites. Their operations extended across India and the UAE through a franchise system.
The investigation revealed that funds from players were funneled into bank accounts registered under different names, subsequently transferred abroad via hawala. The ED’s main complaint, filed on October 20, 2023, estimated that this syndicate generated approximately ₹450 crore each month.
Chandrakar had previously ignored a summons issued by the ED in September 2023 and evaded the investigation by law enforcement agencies. Following the ED’s application, a special court issued a non-bailable warrant against him on September 4, 2023. Shortly thereafter, Interpol issued a red notice for his arrest. The Chhattisgarh High Court upheld the warrant on March 22, 2025.
Despite holding an Indian passport, Chandrakar managed to obtain a passport from Vanuatu and claimed in court that he renounced his Indian citizenship on June 28, 2022. The ED has requested his extradition from Oman through diplomatic channels, which was granted by the Muscat Court of Appeals on October 8, 2026, dismissing his citizenship claims after confirmation from the Indian embassy.
Chandrakar was apprehended while attempting to leave Oman with a fake travel document. A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) brought him back to India on November 1, 2026, as the nodal agency for such cases.
To date, the ED has conducted searches at around 190 locations, seizing or freezing assets worth approximately ₹2,000 crore and confiscating properties valued at ₹3,500 crore, including 22 real estate holdings in Dubai. The agency has filed six prosecution complaints against 116 accused individuals. Chandrakar is the 15th person to be arrested in this case, following the apprehension of Vikas Garg in July 2026, who was linked to ₹940 crore from betting activities.
The ED also traced around ₹941 crore in assets related to Chandrakar’s lavish wedding in Ras Al Khaimah in February 2023, which reportedly cost around ₹200 crore, utilizing three chartered flights from Nagpur. The investigation has identified the syndicate’s management through guest lists and payments made to event companies and hotels.
