Mahadev Betting App: Why are celebrities under ED radar

Hyderabad: The Mahadev Gaming app is an online betting hub that allows users to participate in live betting across a spectrum of games. This includes poker, card games, badminton, tennis, football, and cricket.

In addition, the app provides a selection of card games like Teen Patti and Poker, along with virtual cricket games. The operation primarily functions through closed groups on various instant messaging platforms and is reputed to generate a staggering daily revenue of Rs 200 crore.

According to police reports, the app owners, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, have allegedly created online avenues for unlawful betting on live games too, spanning cricket, tennis, badminton, poker, and card games for the past four years.

It is estimated that Chandrakar’s company has accumulated around Rs 5,000 crore through illicit gambling. Additionally, the owners of the Mahadev online betting app are suspected of having ties in Pakistan and associations with local business figures and hawala operations.

How does the betting app work?

Chandrakar and Uppal hail from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh and the Mahadev online book betting application is connected to a syndicate that supports online platforms for illegal betting websites.

The perpetrators of this scheme enticed individuals by posting contact numbers on websites, alluring them to partake and profit. Access to these contact numbers is predominantly through platforms like WhatsApp.

Once users reach out to these numbers, they are provided with two contact numbers. One is designated for depositing money and earning points for user IDs employed in betting, while the other is intended for the redemption of points associated with their IDs.

How did Mahadev Gaming App come under ED’s radar?

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an investigation into the operations of the Mahadev Gaming app after 28-year-old Sourabh Chandrakar’s extravagant Rs 250 crore wedding in the UAE. The event unveiled alleged hawala operations and connections in the UAE and Pakistan.

The ED has consolidated at least seven FIRs filed by victims who fell prey to the scam, with cases spanning various locations including Goa, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, and Chhattisgarh. Approximately eight major international hawala operators are now under scrutiny for their involvement in money laundering to Middle Eastern countries and Pakistan through a similar portal.

Chandrakar and his associates purportedly employed at least 70 shell companies to launder funds into offshore accounts. The anti-money laundering agency is currently exploring avenues to collaborate with international agencies in order to pursue legal action against the app owner, who is currently situated in the UAE.

How did Bollywood celebrities get involved?

Several Bollywood stars who attended or performed at Chandrakar’s wedding and the company’s success party are now under the ED’s scrutiny. Those summoned by the ED so far include Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Kapil Sharma, Boman Irani, and Hina Khan.

Reports suggest that around 14-15 other celebrities could also be under investigation. Media reports imply that these stars may have received substantial sums of cash for their participation or performances at these events. This money is considered proceeds of the crime, potentially implicating the stars in the receipt of illicit funds.

The ED has already conducted raids on multiple premises linked to hawala operators across various Indian cities, leading to the attachment of Rs 417 crore. In a recent Mumbai raid, the ED also identified seven hawala kingpins allegedly involved in money laundering.