The CBI seized Abhishek Kumar immediately after he landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, following a flight from Dubai where he had been laundered billions from the Mahadev betting network. Kumar is alleged to have coordinated betting panels, collected funds, and transferred ill‑proceeds to immovable assets in Dubai, the agency said in a statement released Thursday.
The Mahadev app has siphoned an estimated ₹75,000‑80,000 crore between 2019 and 2026, according to the Enforcement Directorate’s supplementary chargesheet. 3200 betting panels operated under the app, each earning about ₹10 lakh per week, and the syndicate funneled around ₹11,4000 crore annually to its promoters.
In a coordinated international effort, the CBI has issued seven Red Notices and two extradition requests. Saurabh Chandrakar was detained in Oman in June, while Ravi Uppal is believed to have fled to the UAE and was last spotted in Vanuatu. The agency is pushing for their return to face trial in India.
The CBI has filed eight chargesheets covering 100 accused, including the app’s promoters, panel operators, hawala links and several Chhattisgarh public servants. The court in Raipur has ordered Kumar’s custodial interrogation, and the Chhattisgarh government has transferred 13 FIRs to the CBI for further investigation.