Rs15000 Crore Mahadev Betting probe transferred to Mumbai Crime Branch

The Mahadev Betting app, at the centre of controversy, is an online platform where users can engage in live gambling across various games, including poker, cricket, badminton and tennis, among others.

Due to the extensive nature of the investigation, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has now decided to transfer the case to the crime branch, according to a report by news agency PTI. The investigation linked to the Mahadev betting app case amounting to INR 15,000 Cr has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.

Earlier this month (November 14), an FIR was registered in Mumbai’s Matunga Police Station against 32 people, including the promoters of the app Saurabh Chandrakar, Ravi Uppal and others, alleging a connection to the betting scam. It alleged their involvement in a fraud dating back to 2019, as stated by the police.

The report also included the director of Dabur Gaurav Burman and company chairman Mohit Burman under sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Mohit Burman had been listed as the 16th accused, while Gaurav Burman was the 18th accused in the Mahadev betting app scam. According to the FIR, the accused had defrauded people to the tune of INR 15,000 Cr.

Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed that a forensic analysis and a statement from a cash courier have led to several shocking allegations. The promoters of the Mahadev betting app are accused of paying approximately INR 508 Cr to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. These claims are now under probe.

Amid the Mahadev app scam, a clutch of prominent figures and Bollywood celebrities find themselves implicated in various chargesheets and complaints filed by both the police and the ED.

Last month, the ED filed a chargesheet in the Mahadev app scam, naming promoters Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, alongside 12 other celebrities. Among these are renowned personalities such as Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and Huma Qureshi, among other A-listers from Bollywood.

The scandal gained attention following Chandrakar’s opulent wedding in Dubai and has remained in the headlines for the past month. While the investigation is ongoing, the two promoters have consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, masterminds behind Mahadev Betting

In a statement, they revealed that the ED’s investigation seems more intent on scapegoating them rather than uncovering the truth.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had clamped down on over 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book app.

Details about the Mahadev Betting Case

The ED’s investigation unearthed a vast network operated by Mahadev Online Book, providing illegal betting opportunities in various live games, including poker, card games, cricket, badminton and tennis, and even allowing bets on Indian elections. The platform also offers card games like “Teen Patti”, poker, “Dragon Tiger”, and virtual cricket games, among others.

The operations involved maintaining websites, closed groups on chat apps, and advertising contact numbers to lure people into illegal betting. The ED investigation revealed the involvement of individuals and government officials, and some arrests have been made in connection to the case.

Saurabh Chandrakar, 28, and Ravi Uppal, 43 — both originally from Chhattisgarh but based in Dubai for nearly two years — are said to be at the heart of this operation. According to media reports, the duo has been suspected of amassing around Rs 5,000 crore through the illegal betting app. The ED’s investigation has revealed that operations also involved rigging of games to ensure profits for panel owners and heavy losses for players.

The police have seized 191 laptops, 858 smartphones, betting-related materials, and luxury cars worth about Rs 2.50 crore, according to a report by The Indian Express. The investigation revealed the use of over 3,033 bank accounts in this racket, with around 1,035 bank accounts frozen. The total amount deposited in these accounts is estimated to be about Rs 15.50 crore.

FIRs have also been registered in other states, such as Andhra Pradesh, against app operators.

According to an NDTV report, the Mahadev betting app’s network extends beyond India to the UAE, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. The ED has frozen and seized assets worth Rs 417 crore in connection with the case.

How is Bollywood involved in the Mahadev Betting Probe?

Another report by NDTV on Thursday stated that actors Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi, Hina Khan, and Shraddha Kapoor have also been asked to appear before the ED in connection with the Mahadev app case. These actors are not accused but have been asked to make statements regarding the case.

Ranbir Kapoor is alleged to have served as a social media influencer for the online betting platform and reportedly received payments for conducting promotional activities for the app. The ED reportedly started looking into Kapoor when he attended Sourabh Chandrakar’s Rs 200 crore wedding in the UAE back in February of this year.

Visuals from Chandrakar’s extravagant wedding in Dubai. Reports claim he paid the entire Rs 200 crore (expense of his wedding) in cash.

Author

Veer Jain
Bringing out the reality through this wonderful digital press. I am known for my articles in Politics, Business and Tech genre. A youth trying to take on the...