Representative image. Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
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Why it matters
The ED says Chandrakar is the first promoter of the betting syndicate to be brought back from abroad, so his questioning could test the agency's claims about where the money went.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), the central agency that investigates money laundering, arrested Mahadev app promoter Saurabh Chandrakar in Raipur on Friday, 13 November 2026. A special court in the Chhattisgarh capital sent the 31-year-old to ED custody until 19 November, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported. The Mahadev app case is one of the largest illegal betting investigations in the country, and Chandrakar is the ED’s accused number one.
The arrest was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the law that lets the ED trace and seize money it says came from crime. Special PMLA judge Amit Rathore granted seven days of custody, according to PTI and Aaj Tak.
Why a second arrest, a day after a CBI court order
Saurabh Chandrakar is facing two central agencies at once. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him first after he was brought back from Oman. NewsPlainly reported on 4 November that the CBI got eight days to question him. On 12 November a special CBI court in Raipur sent him to judicial custody until 19 November.
The ED’s Mahadev app case is separate. It deals with where the betting money went, rather than the cheating and corruption charges the CBI is probing. With Friday’s order, the ED can now question him for a week. The agency said in a statement that he would be confronted with statements of his associates, digital data and papers about his companies abroad.
From Dubai to Muscat to Raipur: the Mahadev app case timeline
The dates below come from the ED’s statements as carried by PTI and Aaj Tak, and from NewsPlainly’s earlier report.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2019 to 2020 | Mahadev Online Book starts operating, according to the ED |
| October 2022 | ED registers its money-laundering case, based on Chhattisgarh Police and CBI cases |
| February 2023 | Chandrakar’s wedding in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE; the ED alleges it cost about Rs 200 crore in cash |
| 4 September 2023 | Special court issues a non-bailable warrant after he skips ED summons; Interpol later issues a red notice |
| October 2023 | ED names him accused number one in a chargesheet |
| 22 March 2025 | Chhattisgarh High Court dismisses his plea against the warrant |
| 8 October 2026 | A court in Oman allows his extradition to India |
| 1 November 2026 | He is brought to Delhi from Oman |
| 12 November 2026 | Special CBI court sends him to judicial custody till 19 November |
| 13 November 2026 | ED arrests him; PMLA court grants ED custody till 19 November |
According to the ED, Saurabh Chandrakar told the Omani court he was not an Indian citizen. The court rejected that plea after the Indian embassy confirmed his nationality. The agency also said he was caught at Muscat International Airport while trying to leave on a forged travel document. Aaj Tak, citing the ED, said he is the first promoter of the syndicate to be brought back to India.
What the ED alleges about the betting app
All of the following are the agency’s charges in the Mahadev betting case, which Chandrakar has not yet answered in court. The ED says the app, also called Mahadev Online Book, ran through thousands of betting “panels”, franchises handed out in India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It alleges the operation was run from a head office in Dubai by Chandrakar and co-promoter Ravi Uppal.
Money from bettors was moved through bank accounts opened in other people’s names and then sent abroad through hawala, an informal cash transfer network, Aaj Tak reported, citing the ED. In its October 2023 complaint the agency put the syndicate’s earnings at about Rs 450 crore a month.
NewsPlainly’s arithmetic on that estimate: Rs 450 crore a month works out to about Rs 5,400 crore a year. The ED’s larger figure, carried by PTI, is that the app produced proceeds of crime worth Rs 80,000 crore since 2019. Neither number has been tested at trial. Both come from the agency, not a court.
The ED probe in numbers
- People arrested by the ED: 15, with Chandrakar the latest
- Assets attached: Rs 1,885 crore
- Accused named: 116, across six chargesheets
- Premises searched: 190 across the country
The ED has also said the app’s operators had links with senior politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh. That remains an allegation. Online betting and gambling are banned in India, as PTI noted in its report.
What happens next for Chandrakar
His ED custody runs until 19 November, the same day his judicial custody in the CBI case ends. The Mahadev app promoter’s lawyers can seek bail in both cases, and the reports we read did not include a statement from them. For more crime and court news, see NewsPlainly’s India section.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Saurabh Chandrakar?
He is the main promoter of the Mahadev betting app, named accused number one by the ED in a chargesheet filed in October 2023.
How long will Chandrakar be in ED custody?
Until 19 November 2026, under an order of the special PMLA court in Raipur on 13 November.
How was he brought back to India?
A court in Oman allowed his extradition on 8 October 2026, and he was brought to Delhi on 1 November. The CBI arrested him first.
How much money does the ED say the Mahadev app made?
The ED alleges proceeds of crime of Rs 80,000 crore since 2019. Its October 2023 complaint estimated earnings of about Rs 450 crore a month.