Oman after Dubai: A new battle to bring Mahadev App kingpin back to India | Explained
Indian authorities are pursuing the extradition of Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, the kingpins behind the ₹6,000 crore Mahadev Online Book betting scam. The case involves complex money laundering, political allegations, and the use of hawala channels to move illicit funds abroad.
Why it matters
The case represents a significant challenge for Indian law enforcement in tackling transnational financial crimes and illegal online gambling syndicates.
Saurabh Chandrakar , who hails from Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai and had humble beginnings as a juice shop owner there, co-founded an App Mahadev Online Book along with fellow Bhilai resident Ravi Uppal in 2018. Chandrakar is said to be the kingpin of a large network of illegal betting panels that they both, along with other accused, were running across the country. They enrolled users and ran games and betting markets that generated illegal profits. The money generated was then laundered and transferred abroad. The scam is pegged at around ₹6,000 crore, and the CBI described it as one of the largest illegal betting syndicates unearthed in the country, run from outside Indian soil. It is alleged that the share from the proceeds of crime generated through the scam was also given to public servants.
The report explains the mechanics of the scam and the political controversy surrounding it while maintaining a neutral, investigative tone.
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