From betting to Bhupesh Baghel, what’s the Mahadev app case all about | 10 points

The Mahadev betting app case is back in the news after the Enforcement Directorate alleged that Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel received Rs 508 crore in kickbacks from the app’s promoters based in the UAE. Here’s a 10-pointer of what the case is all about.

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The Mahadev betting app case is a high-profile scandal involving an online betting platform that enabled illegal gambling on various games such as poker, card games, badminton, tennis, football and cricket. (Collage: India Today)

New Delhi , UPDATED: Nov 4, 2023 15:05 IST
Written By: Prateek Chakraborty
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The Mahadev online betting app case is back in the spotlight after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed it recorded the statement of a ‘cash courier’ who alleged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel received Rs 508 crore from the app promoters based in the UAE, triggering a political row ahead of the state Assembly polls. The Mahadev app case is a high-profile scandal involving an online betting platform that enabled illegal gambling on various games, such as poker, card games, badminton, tennis, football and cricket. The app was run by Dubai-based Saurabh Chandrakar, who was a former juice seller, and his accomplice Ravi Uppal, both of whom hail from Chhattisgarh, according to the ED.

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Here’s a rundown of what the case is all about in 10 points:

The probe agency has alleged that the app operated by franchising “panel/branches” to known associates on a 70-30 profit ratio, using the platform to enroll new users, create IDs, and launder money through a complex network of Benami bank accounts. The operation reportedly generated an astounding Rs 200 crore daily.

The ED’s investigation into the case was triggered by Chandrakar’s lavish Rs 250 crore wedding in the UAE in February, which was attended by several Bollywood actors, including Tiger Shroff and Sunny Leone. Popular singers, including Neha Kakkar, performed at the event, probe agency sources said.

Several Bollywood celebrities, including Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Kapil Sharma, Boman Irani and Hina Khan, have been summoned by the ED for questioning in the case. According to the ED, they are suspected of having accepted substantial sums of cash as payment for their participation or performances at events organised by the promoters of the app.

The ED’s investigation revealed that the Mahadev app was being run from Dubai and used an online book betting application to enroll new users and launder money through a layer of benami bank accounts.

Chandrakar and Uppal are suspected of amassing around Rs 5,000 crore through the Mahadev app. The operations also involved rigging of games to ensure profits for panel owners and heavy losses for players.

The probe agency has consolidated at least seven FIRs filed by victims who lost their money to the scam, with FIRs spanning locations such as Goa, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad and Chhattisgarh.

ED investigation into Chandrakar’s lavish wedding resulted in the uncovering of alleged hawala operations and connections in the UAE and Pakistan. Chandrakar and Uppal joined hands with gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Mushtaqeem Ibrahim Kaskar to develop a similar betting app for Pakistan called ‘Kheloyar’, sources told Indiatoday.in.

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

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On October 21, the ED filed its first chargesheet in the case, naming 14 accused, including Chandrakar and Uppal. The probe agency has provisionally attached Rs 41 crore worth of proceeds of crime.

The case took a dramatic turn when an email statement from a ‘cash courier’ revealed that Mahadev app promoters had allegedly paid bribes worth Rs 508 crore to Baghel. The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister has dismissed the claims, saying it was an attempt to tarnish his image. The ED has also seized over Rs 5 crore in cash, which was allegedly sent by the Mahadev app promoters.

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