In the Mahadev betting app case, the absconding accused, Saurabh Chandrakar, issued a statement on Monday night through a PR agency, denying all the allegations made against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
According to him, he is neither a promoter, director, nor the founder of the Mahadev app. He also denied his involvement in 60 illicit offshore platforms. He identified himself as an entrepreneur from Bhilai and said he was ready to cooperate with the ED.
Chandrakar planning to flee: ED
According to sources in the ED, Chandrakar is trying to mislead the issue and is currently planning to leave the UAE for some undisclosed destination. The sources said they have all the evidence against his illegal betting business and hawala operations from which he has established a Rs 5,000 crore empire. The sources asked if he was willing to cooperate, why is not joining the investigation?
According to an ED investigation, Rs 200 crore was spent on his wedding in Dubai in February 2023 and a host of Bollywood celebrities took part in the bash. Chandrakar said he spent about Dirham 10 million which was raised through his internal accruals and savings. “Meticulously documented records substantiating the sources of his income are available, and spending Rs 200 crore in cash is actually not practical," he added.
Concerning the presence of celebrities at the event, Chandrakar contends that their involvement was greatly exaggerated. He asserts that all the celebrities in attendance were engaged through an event management company, which facilitated their participation. Furthermore, he denied any hawala payments, stating that all artistes were exclusively hired by the company to attend and perform at the event and there were no direct financial transactions between himself and the celebrities. He claimed that the event management company had made payments to all celebrities through regular banking channels.
‘Never traveled to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal’: Chandrakar
Chandrakar denied any operations in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Nepal. He asserts that he has never traveled to these countries.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at multiple locations in Bhilai involving close associates of Chandrakar and his associate Ravi Uppal on Monday and Tuesday. The ED team conducted searches at the premises of Deepak Savlani, who was an alleged partner in Saurabh Chandrakar's 'Juice Factory'. Savlani's statement was also recorded. Savlani claimed to be a contractor working for the Bhilai Nagar Nigam.
Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate team visited the close relatives of Ravi Uppal, including one Prerna Uppal. According to ED officials, they learned from neighbors that the house has been closed for the past year.
