Mahadev Betting App Scam: ED Raids 15 New Locations Across Mumbai, Delhi NCR, And WB
On February 28, the Enforcement Directorate raided 15 locations in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and certain parts of West Bengal as part of its money laundering investigation into the Mahadev Online betting app case, said persons acquainted with the developments, reported Hindustan Times. The raids occurred around 11 days after the federal agency arrested Nitish Diwan, a close assistant to primary promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal.
The case concerns senior politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh. So far, nine people have been arrested, and efforts are underway to have Chandrakar and Uppal deported from the United Arab Emirates.
The two were recently held in Dubai based on Interpol red notices issued at the request of ED, and the agency is attempting to deport or extradite them to India. Officials stated that a formal request in this regard has already been sent.
According to the ED’s charge sheet, Chandrakar married in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE in February 2023, and spent over INR 200 crore in cash. Private jets were chartered to fly his relatives from India to the UAE, and celebrities were compensated to perform at the wedding.
The agency had previously stated that the alleged unlawful monies generated by the app were used to pay bribes to politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh, where the programme’s primary promoters and operatives are from.
The agency summoned several celebrities and Bollywood actors to ask them about their affiliations to the online betting site and payment methods.
