NEW DELHI/ RAIPUR,BHARAT: Saurabh Chandrakar, the promoter of the Mahadev Betting App, has been detained in Dubai, according to sources. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is reportedly preparing to extradite Chandrakar to India within a week. Chandrakar, who started as a juice shop owner in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, has built a massive illegal betting empire through the Mahadev app, which has connections to notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim's D Company.

The Mahadev Betting App is facing multiple legal cases across various states in India, with Chandrakar being the central figure in these investigations. His arrest is expected to reveal the names of other key individuals involved in the large-scale betting scam.

Approximately a month and a half ago, on August 22, 2024, Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai's government transferred the investigation of the Mahadev Betting App scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The move came as the scale of the scam and its criminal connections became clearer.

The central government had earlier acted against illegal betting platforms by ordering the blocking of 22 apps and websites, including the Mahadev Betting App, on November 5, 2023. Shortly after, on November 8, 2023, Mumbai Police registered a case against Chandrakar and other promoters of the app for fraud and gambling-related offenses. Over 30 individuals, including Chandrakar and his associate Ravi Uppal, were named in the case filed at Matunga Police Station, which was later handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch and investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Chandrakar's detention is a significant development in the crackdown on illegal online betting operations in India.