The Enforcement Directorate arrested Saurabh Chandrakar inside a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act courtroom on Friday afternoon, seizing custody of the alleged mastermind behind the ₹6,000-crore Mahadev online betting syndicate.
He had nowhere left to run.
Special Judge Amit Rathore granted the agency seven days of custodial interrogation, ordering Chandrakar held until November 19 following intense arguments over his transfer from judicial detention. The arrest unfolded at precisely 3:10 pm after the court approved an ED production warrant moved a day earlier.
Chandrakar’s path to the Raipur courtroom followed an international dragnet that culminated in his extradition from Oman earlier this month.
Federal investigators moved swiftly once he landed on Indian soil. On November 4, a designated court remanded Chandrakar to eight days of Central Bureau of Investigation custody, clearing federal agents to fly him to New Delhi for intensive grilling. When the CBI produced him on Thursday at the end of that remand without seeking an extension, the agency’s prosecutors stepped in immediately.
They pounced before he could post bail.
Investigators allege the 'Mahadev Online Book' platform functioned as one of India's largest illegal betting syndicates, anchored overseas but executed across the country through an expansive franchise network. The digital platform took illegal wagers on cricket matches, football games, and card tournaments, raking in billions of rupees.
The illicit revenue did not sit idle. Syndicate operatives routed illegal proceeds through thousands of mule bank accounts, layered the money across shell transactions, and funneled capital abroad through underground hawala corridors. Federal charge sheets state a substantial cut of the profits was diverted to pay 'protection money' to corrupt bureaucrats and public servants to shield operations from local crackdowns.
The money laundering trail traces back to illicit operations that first surfaced under Chhattisgarh's previous Congress administration, eventually sparking a high-level state sweep.
In March 2024, following a change of government in the state, the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing registered a comprehensive FIR naming former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel alongside alleged app promoters Chandrakar, Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni, Anil Kumar Agrawal, and 14 others. The state police invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act based on an exhaustive ED dossier.
The court granted permission for his arrest after hearing detailed arguments from both sides, ordering custody to the agency for seven days.
Sourabh Kumar Pande, Special Counsel for the Enforcement Directorate
Both Chandrakar and co-promoter Ravi Uppal—natives of Chhattisgarh's Durg district—face accusations of founding the offshore network and laundering syndicate profits into offshore safe havens.
| Case Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Primary Accused | Saurabh Chandrakar |
| Originating Agency Cases | Enforcement Directorate (PMLA) & CBI |
| Estimated Proceeds of Crime | ₹6,000 Crore |
| Key Co-Accused Named | Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni, Anil Kumar Agrawal, Bhupesh Baghel |
| Remand Jurisdiction | Special Court (PMLA), Raipur |
| Current Custody Status | Remanded to ED custody until November 19 |
ED investigators will confront Chandrakar over the coming week with digital transaction records, mule account ledgers, and evidence detailing the exact bureaucrat-politician nexus before producing him back before Special Judge Amit Rathore on November 19.