Mahadev Betting App Case: CBI Raids 33 Locations Across 6 States On Chandrakar’s Disclosures; ED Flags ₹92,000-Cr Proceeds of Crime

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted searches at 33 locations across six states in connection with the Mahadev Online Book illegal betting app case, following disclosures made by alleged kingpin and key accused Sourabh Chandrakar during his custodial interrogation. The searches, conducted over the past few days, targeted premises linked to panel operators, intermediaries, hawala operators and angadias suspected of facilitating the collection and movement of money generated through the illegal betting operations. 

CBI Dismantles Live Betting Panels

The searches covered Mumbai, Nagpur, Delhi, Amritsar, Dholpur in Rajasthan, Bhopal, Raipur, Durg, Indore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, among other locations. During the operation, the CBI detected several live betting and gambling panels operating from different premises and dismantled them as part of its efforts to disrupt the illegal operations.

The agency seized the digital devices, mobile phones and documents indicating the alleged use of mule bank accounts and hawala channels to transfer betting proceeds overseas. The seized material is being examined to establish the functioning of the betting panels, trace financial transactions and identify individuals involved in facilitating the movement of funds, officials said.   

Chandrakar's Disclosures Reveal Operational Network

According to the agency, Chandrakar's interrogation revealed details about the functioning of the platform and its extensive network of panel operators in India. He was also confronted with documentary and digital evidence collected during the investigation. The disclosures have helped the agency identify locations associated with the operation of betting panels and the individuals allegedly involved in handling the betting business and its financial transactions.

The CBI investigation has revealed that the platform was allegedly operated from abroad through a head office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while its operations in India were managed through a network of panel operators. These operators allegedly generated customer IDs, collected betting money through bank accounts opened or hired in the names of other individuals and transferred the proceeds overseas through hawala channels. 

ED Alleges Continued Betting Operations

Separately, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its remand application seeking Chandrakar's custody on Friday, informed the court that its investigation revealed the Mahadev Online Book platform continued to operate unabated even after the agency filed its initial prosecution complaint on October 20, 2023, right up until the filing of its latest supplementary prosecution complaint on September 10, 2026. To substantiate this, the agency cited statements recorded under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in July 2025, in which two co-accused allegedly confirmed that the platform remained  operational and disclosed that they were independently running betting panels from Dubai. 

The ED highlighted a nearly nine-fold surge in the estimated proceeds of crime over the three-year span between the filing of its initial prosecution complaint and Sourabh Chandrakar's recent extradition to India. The agency revised its estimate from around Rs 10,000–11,000 crore in its initial complaint to more than Rs 92,000 crore in its fifth supplementary complaint. Attributing the sharp escalation to the alleged continuation of betting operations and the generation of fresh illicit funds, the ED told the court that Chandrakar's custodial interrogation is critical to establish the complete money trail, examine the role of overseas associates, and unravel how the syndicate continued operating despite enforcement action.

Co-accused Disclose Dubai Betting Panels

According to the ED's submissions, co-accused Rajat Kumar Singh, whose statement was recorded on July 4, 2025, stated that the Mahadev Online Book application was still operational and that he was personally running around eight to 10 betting panels from Dubai. Another associate of Chandrakar, co-accused Vishal Ramani, also allegedly confirmed the continuation of the platform's operations and disclosed that he was operating approximately 35 panels from Dubai.

The ED also referred to an incident during a search conducted on July 2, 2025, when Singh was allegedly receiving repeated calls on his mobile phone from a number which he identified as belonging to Chandrakar.  The agency told the court that the identity of the person operating the number, the devices associated with it and the alleged continuation of the betting operations needed to be established through Chandrakar's custodial interrogation.

The court remanded Chandrakar to seven days of ED custody till November 19.

 Both agencies are continuing their investigations to establish the roles of other accused, including overseas associates, individuals suspected of facilitating the betting operations and public servants allegedly involved in the syndicate. The agencies are also pursuing steps to secure the extradition of other absconding accused.

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