Even as Indian authorities prepare to likely receive Saurabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev betting app, sources told NDTV how the money was moved around, the extent of the nexus involved in the operation of the app and the titular role of two Chhattisgarh-based brothers.
According to sources, Chandrakar's formal arrest in the Dubai was based on an Interpol-issued arrest warrant in a money laundering and fraud case. Chandrakar along with another promoter of the app, Ravi Uppal was detained and put under "house arrest" in Dubai late last year following the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) request for issuance of a Red Notice (RN) against them.
Chandrakar and co-promoter Ravil Uppal hailed from Chhattisgarh's Bhilai, but operated the Mahadev betting app from Dubai. When he lived in his hometown, the former ran a juice shop. He is said to have left for Dubai in 2019.
After starting the app, the duo opened call centres in major cities of Malaysia, Thailand, UAE and India through which various subsidiary apps were made to facilitate online betting. In Chhattisgarh and other states of India, around 30 call centres were being operated with the help of two persons, identified as Sunil Damani and Anil Damani, both close aides of Chandrakar and Uppal.
The ED has claimed the network consisted of around 4,000 'panel operators', based across different states in India, with handling around 200 customers placing bets. Using this method, the two made at least ₹ 200 crore daily, and managed to build a criminal empire in the UAE.
Investigation by the ED found that thousand of crores were swindled through the betting and other interlinked apps, according to sources.
The money trail of a deep-running nexus
Chandrakar and Uppal, along with the police, bureaucrats and politicians operated a nexus to run the app and manage its proceeds in India.
With help from the Damanis, a large number of benami bank accounts were opened. Anil Damani was entrusted with rerouting the money obtained through hawala to pay the police, politicians and bureaucrats to avoid coming under the scanner.
Money was also sent to Chandra Bhushan Verma, an Assistant Sub Inspector with Chhattisgarh Police, for the same purpose. He was in direct contact with Vinod Verma, the political advisor of then Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, with whose support he was managing the syndicate of police, bureaucrats and politicians.
The Damanis also sent large sums of cash to the promoters in UAE through hawala.
During questioning, Anil Damani said that in the last 2-3 years, Sunil Damani and he carried out transactions to the tune of Rs 60-65 crore through hawala on the request of Uppal, while he was given Rs 6 lakh. He added that they run the hawala ring through their jewellery shop.
Call Detail Records show the Damanis have been in constant contact with Chandrakar and Uppal.
Satish Chandrakar, who was arrested in this case by the ED, was running four call centres and had a five percent stake. He too was tasked with overseeing the illegal money transactions. Probe also revealed that Satish Chandrakar was also connected to gangster and drug mafia boss Tapan Sarkar, who is on the run in the case.
The projected proceeds of crime in this case are about Rs 6,000 crore, according to the ED.
The Bollywood connection
The ED has alleged in its charge sheet that Chandrakar got married at UAE's Ras Al Khaimah in February 2023 and about Rs 200 crore "in cash" was spent for this event.
Around 17 Hindi film celebrities and Chandrakar's relatives were flown in by chartered flights. The celebrities also performed at the wedding and were allegedly paid crores of rupees through hawala in return.
Further, actor Ranbir Kapoor has been accused of promoting a sporting app linked to the Mahadev online betting app. Hence, all actors who were present at the wedding have been included in the scope of the investigation.
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