The Enforcement Directorate attached multiple properties in Dubai — including apartments in the Burj Khalifa — in connection with the Mahadev online betting case this week. The probe agency is currently pursuing multiple FIRs and believes the case involves various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh. The assets seized on Wednesday are worth nearly Rs 1700 crore and belong to Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev Online Book betting application.
According to details shared by the ED, other attached foreign assets are located at prime locations in Dubai and include High-value luxury villas, apartments in Dubai Hills Estate (including Hills View, Fairway residency and Sidra), multiple high-end apartments in Business Bay and SLS Hotel and residences. Two immovable properties located in Delhi were also attached through the provisional order issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
“The properties considered for attachment belong to Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev Online Book betting application and held in the name of entities controlled by him, his associates, including Vikas Chhaparia, Rohit Gulati, Atul Arora, Nitin Tibrewal, and Surendra Bagri,” the agency said in a statement.
Who is Sourabh Chandrakar?
Sourabh Chandrakar is one of the alleged kingpins of the controversial betting platoform — originally a clothes salesman from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh who also ran a juice centre. Officials said he had teamed up with another key accused (Ravi Uppal) to form the betting platform in 2018. Chandrakar had also made headlines in 2023 after hosting a lavish Rs 200 crore wedding in Dubai that saw family members arriving by private jets and Bollywood celebrities among the guests.
India is currently pursuing the extradition of both individuals. Reports indicate that the last known location of Chandrakar is in the United Arab Emirates, while Uppal is believed to have fled to Vanuatu from the UAE.
According to the ED, the Mahadev App operated as a large-scale international betting syndicate which facilitated illegal betting through multiple online platforms and domain names such as ‘Tiger Exchange’, ‘Gold365’ and ‘Laser247’. The network allegedly followed a franchise-based model with “panels” or “branches” run by associates across India. The two promoters are said to have operated the syndicate from Dubai.
‘ roceeds of crime’
The ED alleged these properties were acquired from the “proceeds of crime” generated from illegal online betting operations in the name of the Mahadev Online Book platform and several others. Properties have also been attached earlier in connection with this case — taking the total value of the attachment to Rs 4,336 crore. The agency has said in the past that the total “illegal” monies generated in this case are about Rs 6,000 crore. |
