From Juices to Jackpot: The Rise of Sourabh Chandrakar’s ₹6,000 Crore Betting Empire
From Juices to Jackpot: The Rise of Sourabh Chandrakar's ₹6,000 Crore Betting Empire.
Saurabh Chandrakar, a key suspect in the high-profile money laundering and fraud case linked to the ₹6,000-crore Mahadev app, is on the verge of extradition to India following his formal arrest in the UAE. This development comes after an Interpol red notice was issued against him. Alongside his business partner, Ravi Uppal, Chandrakar has been under house arrest in Dubai since December 2023. Official sources indicate that the extradition process is nearing completion, with approval from UAE authorities secured after intervention by India’s External Affairs Ministry.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claims its investigation into the Mahadev Online Book gaming and betting app has unveiled connections to several senior politicians and officials from Chhattisgarh, the home state of both Chandrakar and Uppal. A Raipur court issued an extradition order on Thursday, which is now being dispatched to the UAE authorities.
According to reports, Chandrakar and Uppal allegedly paid ₹508 crore in bribes to Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, as stated by the ED in November 2023. Chandrakar’s entrepreneurial journey began with a juice shop in Bhilai before he and Uppal relocated to Dubai in 2019 to launch the Mahadev betting app.
To expand their operations, the duo established call centers in major cities across Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE, and India, creating subsidiary apps for online betting. The network reportedly included around 30 call centers in Chhattisgarh and other states, managed with the help of associates Sunil Damani and Anil Damani.
The ED’s findings indicate that this expansive operation comprised approximately 4,000 panel operators across various Indian states, each overseeing around 200 customers placing bets. This scheme allegedly generated daily revenues of at least ₹200 crore, facilitating the establishment of a substantial criminal empire in the UAE. The ED’s chargesheet also highlights that Chandrakar married in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023, reportedly spending ₹200 crore in cash on the extravagant wedding.
Chandrakar’s wedding attracted considerable attention, with around 17 Hindi film celebrities flown in by chartered flights to perform at the ceremony. It is alleged that these celebrities were compensated in crores through hawala transactions for their appearances, according to claims made by the federal agency.
As the extradition process unfolds, authorities are keen to uncover the full extent of the Mahadev app’s operations and the political connections involved in this scandal.
