ED Secures Custody of Mahadev Betting Syndicate Promoter Chandrakar

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has secured seven-day custody of Saurabh Chandrakar, alleged promoter of the Mahadev Online Book betting syndicate, from a Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur. The agency will interrogate Chandrakar concerning alleged money laundering and the routing of illicit proceeds.

What Happened

On November 13, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate obtained seven days of custody for Saurabh Chandrakar, an alleged promoter of the Mahadev App illegal betting syndicate, from a Special PMLA court in Raipur, according to the Free Press Journal. This followed a CBI court’s rejection of the ED’s initial custody request the previous day, which resulted in Chandrakar being remanded to seven days of judicial custody (Free Press Journal).

The ED sought Chandrakar’s custodial interrogation to investigate the alleged laundering of proceeds generated by the betting syndicate. During this remand, the agency plans to confront Chandrakar with statements from his associates, digital evidence, and documents related to his foreign entities. The objective is to establish the alleged proceeds of crime and trace the money trail, as reported by officials (Free Press Journal).

The ED’s investigation stems from a cheating and criminal conspiracy case registered on July 29, 2022, at Mohan Nagar police station in Durg. The agency invoked Section 19 of the PMLA for its investigation. The ED alleged that Chandrakar evaded summons under Section 50 of the PMLA, left India to avoid legal proceedings, and was uncooperative. An open-ended arrest warrant was issued against him on September 4, 2023, which the Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed his challenge against on March 22, 2025 (Free Press Journal).

Chandrakar’s counsel, Tushar Giri, opposed the remand application, arguing the arrest was illegal because the ED had already filed a prosecution complaint against him and others under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA, and the court had taken cognizance of the offenses. The defense questioned the necessity of the arrest and requested authenticated documents and safeguards for interrogation, medical examinations, and access to legal counsel. The court rejected these objections, finding sufficient grounds for arrest and acknowledging the investigation could not be completed within the prescribed period (Free Press Journal).

Key Details

• On November 13, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate secured seven-day custody of Saurabh Chandrakar from a Special PMLA court in Raipur, for interrogation in a money laundering case (Free Press Journal).
• The court imposed conditions on the interrogation, restricting it to between 10 am and 5 pm, with his lawyer permitted within visible distance, and allowing daily half-hour meetings with his lawyer and family between 5 pm and 5:30 pm (Free Press Journal).
• The ED alleges Chandrakar and co-promoter Ravi Uppal operated the Mahadev Online Book betting websites from Dubai, routing approximately Rs 450 crore monthly through a network of franchise-based betting panels and hawala channels (Free Press Journal).
• The agency has conducted searches at around 190 premises, seizing or freezing assets worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore and attaching properties valued at around Rs 3,500 crore, including Rs 1,800 crore abroad and 22 immovable properties in Dubai (Free Press Journal).

Why It Matters

The custody of Saurabh Chandrakar signifies a development in the ongoing investigation into the Mahadev Online Book betting syndicate, which the ED alleges generated substantial illicit proceeds (Free Press Journal). The case highlights the regulatory challenges associated with offshore online betting operations and the mechanisms used for alleged money laundering across international borders. The ED’s efforts to trace the money trail, examine digital evidence, and confront Chandrakar with statements from associates could provide further insights into the operational structure and financial flows of such syndicates.

The court’s decision to grant custody while imposing specific conditions for Chandrakar’s interrogation, including medical examinations and legal counsel access, underscores the legal framework governing high-profile financial crime investigations. The scale of the alleged operations, with reported monthly proceeds of approximately Rs 450 crore and traced assets valued in the thousands of crores, emphasizes the financial implications and the resources required for enforcement actions in this sector (Free Press Journal).

What’s Next

Over the next seven days, the ED will interrogate Saurabh Chandrakar to establish the alleged proceeds of crime and trace the money trail. The agency plans to confront him with statements from associates, digital evidence, and documents related to his foreign entities (Free Press Journal).