New Delhi: The investigation into the illegal Mahadev Online Book betting network has intensified, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducting searches at 33 locations spread across six states, including Punjab, over the past few days. The operation targeted premises allegedly connected to the platform’s panel operators and uncovered several active betting networks, according to officials.
The searches were conducted following information provided by Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the alleged main promoters of the betting platform, after his extradition from Oman. Investigators covered multiple locations, including Amritsar, Delhi, Nagaur, Dholpur, Bhopal, Raipur, Durg, Indore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Mumbai and Nagpur. During the operation, officials reportedly detected functioning online betting and gambling panels, which were subsequently dismantled. Mobile phones, digital devices and documents suspected of establishing links to mule bank accounts and hawala transactions were also seized.
Chandrakar, who was brought back from Oman, was initially arrested by the CBI on November 1. During interrogation, he allegedly provided information about the betting platform’s operations and its network of panel operators functioning in different parts of India. Investigators also questioned him using documentary and electronic evidence gathered during the probe. Following the completion of the CBI’s police custody period, he was sent to judicial custody until November 19.
The case took another turn on November 13 when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chandrakar in connection with an alleged money laundering investigation. The agency secured permission from a special court in Raipur before taking him into custody. The court subsequently authorised seven days of ED interrogation, also extending until November 19. The latest developments have brought renewed focus on the financial operations and alleged nationwide reach of the Mahadev betting network, with central agencies continuing their efforts to trace its operators and financial links.
