Mahadev Betting App Promoter Extradited from Oman Months After Arrest in ₹6,000-Crore Money Laundering Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has extradited Sourabh Chandrakar, the alleged mastermind behind the ₹6,000-crore Mahadev online betting syndicate, from Oman. A specially deputed CBI team escorted him to India, and he is expected to be produced before the CBI Special Court in Raipur, an official told Hindustan Times (HT).

“CBI, in coordination with other central agencies, has successfully secured the extradition of Sourabh Chandrakar, the promoter of the Mahadev App illegal betting syndicate, from the Sultanate of Oman,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

The extradition follows sustained efforts by Indian investigative agencies to bring Chandrakar back to face proceedings in the alleged betting racket.

From UAE detention to extradition from Oman

Chandrakar was briefly detained in the United Arab Emirates in October 2024 following an Interpol Red Notice and placed under house arrest. India subsequently submitted an extradition request that month, but the process was not completed.

He was later traced to Muscat and detained by the Royal Oman Police in late June.

According to a CBI spokesperson, the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted formal extradition requests to Oman, along with evidence gathered against him. The requests were pursued in coordination with Indian government agencies, Interpol’s National Central Bureau and Omani authorities.

After extradition was approved, a CBI team travelled to Muscat and escorted Chandrakar back to India.

The agency also thanked the Omani government and Royal Oman Police for their cooperation, describing it as an example of the two countries’ commitment to tackling transnational organised crime.

An official said Chandrakar’s return was significant because several public servants, including police officers and politicians allegedly bribed by the betting network’s promoters, were under investigation.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister named in the case

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has also been named by the CBI in connection with the case.

In one of its charge sheets, the ED alleged that Chandrakar and his associate Ravi Uppal paid bribes worth ₹508 crore to Baghel. The agency also searched the residence of Vinod Verma, Baghel’s political adviser, in August 2023.

Baghel has repeatedly denied the allegations.

How the Mahadev betting network was established

Chandrakar, now in his early 30s, allegedly established the Mahadev betting network in 2018 with Ravi Uppal, his associate and co-founder. Both are originally from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh. Chandrakar reportedly ran a juice shop before entering the betting business.

The duo moved to Dubai around 2019 and allegedly developed an international online betting operation that attracted millions of users in India.

Investigators have alleged that the network continued operating through multiple websites and applications even while its promoters remained outside India.

Uppal reportedly went missing from the UAE after authorities there decided to close extradition proceedings against him, according to an HT report published on November 4, 2025.

How the Mahadev betting syndicate operated

According to investigators, Mahadev Online Book operated through a franchise-based network of betting panels and branches across India. The platform allegedly facilitated betting on cricket, other sports, poker, card games and various online games.

The syndicate reportedly operated through several platforms and domain names, including Tiger Exchange, Gold365 and Laser247.

Local associates were allegedly recruited to operate betting panels, register users and manage betting activities.

The CBI has alleged that the network generated illegal proceeds through these operations, which were routed through multiple mule bank accounts before being transferred overseas. Investigators have also alleged that a portion of the proceeds was paid to public servants as protection money.

The ED has estimated the alleged proceeds of crime in the case at approximately ₹6,000 crore.

₹200-crore Dubai wedding brought syndicate under scrutiny

The Mahadev betting case attracted widespread attention in 2023 following Chandrakar’s lavish wedding celebrations in Dubai in February that year.

According to the ED, approximately ₹200 crore was spent on the event. The agency alleged that private aircraft were hired to transport family members and guests from India to the UAE, while several celebrities were paid to perform at the celebrations.

The extravagant wedding prompted scrutiny of the promoters’ wealth and the alleged sources of funding for their overseas lifestyle.

The ED subsequently attached and seized properties and other assets linked to Chandrakar, Uppal and their associates.

In March 2026, the agency attached assets worth approximately ₹1,700 crore, including luxury villas and high-end apartments in Dubai, among them properties in the Burj Khalifa.

ED alleges betting platforms generated ₹94,400 crore

In its sixth charge sheet filed in September, the ED alleged that the Mahadev online betting application and its associated websites had generated proceeds of crime worth approximately ₹94,400 crore over the preceding 10 years.

The agency claimed that the main platform remained operational, with a large number of betting panels continuing to function.

The ED further alleged that the network operated locally with the “active support and connivance” of police personnel and politicians in Chhattisgarh. It claimed that bureaucrats and politically exposed individuals received illegal gratification in exchange for turning a blind eye to the betting operations.

The CBI has filed two charge sheets in the Mahadev betting case.