A special CBI court in Raipur on Thursday remanded Saurabh Chandrakar, the alleged kingpin of the Rs 6,000-crore Mahadev online betting app scam, to judicial custody till November 19, his lawyer said.
Chandrakar, who was extradited from Oman earlier this month, was produced before Special Judge (CBI) Manoj Kumar Singh Thakur following the expiry of his eight-day custodial remand with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
His counsel, Tushar Giri, told reporters that the investigating agency did not seek an extension of Chandrakar's custodial interrogation, following which the court ordered his judicial custody.
Chandrakar, a co-promoter of the Mahadev online betting platform, will be lodged in Raipur Central Jail.
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Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the money laundering aspect of the alleged scam, moved an application before the CBI court seeking execution of a non-bailable warrant previously issued against Chandrakar.
However, the court dismissed the application, Giri said.
ED counsel Sourabh Kumar Pande said the agency would now approach the court dealing with cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to seek Chandrakar's arrest in connection with its separate investigation.
Following his extradition from Oman, Chandrakar was produced before the special CBI court on November 4. The court granted the central agency eight days of custody and permitted investigators to take him to Delhi for questioning.
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According to the CBI, investigations revealed that Mahadev Online Book was allegedly among India's largest illegal online betting syndicates, operating from outside the country through a network of franchised panels and branches.
The platform allegedly facilitated betting on cricket, football, card games and other events, enrolling users and collecting stakes through operators spread across the country.
Investigators alleged that money generated through illegal betting was routed through numerous mule bank accounts before being layered through multiple transactions and transferred abroad using hawala channels.
A portion of the proceeds was also allegedly used to pay protection money to public servants to allow the syndicate to operate without interference.
The ED has separately estimated the proceeds of crime linked to the alleged scam at around Rs 6,000 crore and attached several properties associated with the betting network.
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The alleged scam came to light during the previous Congress government headed by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh between 2018 and 2023.
The ED had earlier claimed that its investigation indicated the involvement of several senior politicians and bureaucrats from the state in the alleged money laundering operation.
After the BJP assumed power in December 2023, the state's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) registered an FIR in March 2024 based on an ED report.
The FIR invoked provisions relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Baghel, Mahadev app promoters Ravi Uppal, Saurabh Chandrakar, Shubham Soni and Anil Kumar Agrawal, along with 14 others, were named as accused in the EOW case.
In August 2024, the Chhattisgarh government transferred 70 cases registered at various police stations in connection with the alleged betting scam, along with one EOW case, to the CBI for investigation.
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Chandrakar and co-accused Ravi Uppal, both residents of Chhattisgarh's Durg district, allegedly promoted the Mahadev Book App and operated the betting network through panel and branch operators.
According to investigators, hundreds of bank accounts were opened on a commission basis to facilitate the transfer of illegal betting proceeds to the United Arab Emirates.
The accused allegedly managed the syndicate from Dubai, which investigators described as its headquarters, while employing numerous youths from Chhattisgarh as managers.
The agencies are examining the financial transactions, overseas operations and alleged links between the betting syndicate and public officials as part of their respective investigations.
With Chandrakar now in judicial custody, the ED is expected to pursue its application before the PMLA court for his arrest in the money laundering case.