Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev betting app, will reportedly be brought to India soon. The Mahadev betting app promoter was formally arrested in Dubai recently after Interpol issued an arrest warrant against him in a money laundering and fraud case.
Chandrakar, along with Ravi Uppal, another promoter of the app, was detained and put under "house arrest" in Dubai late last year following the Enforcement Directorate's request for the issuance of a Red Notice (RN) against them. An RN is issued by the Interpol.
Chandrakar reportedly left for Dubai in 2019 and before that, he used to run a juice shop named "Juice Factory" with his brother in Bhillai town of Durg district in Chhattisgarh.
He was formally placed under arrest in Dubai recently and is expected to be either extradited or deported to India over the next few days, news agency PTI reported quoting sources.
"The ED is in the process of sending relevant documents for his extradition to Dubai authorities following which a competent court there will be approached," sources said.
Indian consulate sources in Dubai told PTI that they have "not heard anything from UAE authorities yet."
About Mahadev Betting App Case
The ED has alleged that its probe into the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown the involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where Chandrakar and Uppal hail from.
MOB app, as per the federal agency, is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs and launder money through a layered web of benami bank accounts. The projected proceeds of crime in this case are about Rs 6,000 crore, according to ED.
The ED has arrested a total of 11 people in this case till now. Two charge sheets have also been filed by the agency till now, including against the two promoters. The Chhattisgarh Police too is investigating the case.
The probe agency has also alleged in its charge sheet that Chandrakar got married at Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023 and about Rs 200 crore "in cash" was spent for this event. Private jets were hired to ferry Chandrakar's relatives from India to the UAE and celebrities were paid to perform at the wedding, the agency alleged.
It had claimed that the alleged illegal funds generated by the app were shared as bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in the state even as it has summoned many celebrities and Bollywood actors for questioning on the mode of payment and their links with the online betting platform.