ED Seeks Extradition of Mahadev Betting App Founder After Tracing Him to Oman
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its pursuit of fugitive businessman Sourabh Chandrakar, the alleged mastermind behind the ₹6,000-crore Mahadev Online Book betting syndicate, after tracing him to Oman. Indian authorities have initiated the process to secure his extradition following his detention by the Royal Oman Police, marking a significant breakthrough in one of the country’s biggest investigations into illegal online betting and money laundering.
According to investigating officials, Chandrakar was detained in Oman a few weeks ago on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice issued at the request of the ED and the Chhattisgarh Police. The agency has forwarded the arrest warrant and extradition papers, issued by a Special PMLA Court in Raipur, through diplomatic channels to facilitate his return to India for trial.
The Mahadev Online Book case centres on allegations that Chandrakar and co-founder Ravi Uppal operated a massive offshore betting network from Dubai, generating illegal proceeds estimated at over ₹6,000 crore. The ED alleges that the syndicate used hawala channels, shell companies, cryptocurrency transactions, and overseas entities to launder funds while offering illegal betting services across India. The agency has already filed multiple prosecution complaints and named dozens of individuals and entities as accused in the money laundering case.
Investigators have also attached assets worth thousands of crores linked to the betting network, including luxury villas, high-end apartments, financial investments, and bank accounts in India and abroad. In recent months, the ED has significantly expanded the scope of the investigation, with the cumulative value of assets attached, seized, or frozen reaching nearly ₹3,800 crore.
Officials said Chandrakar had earlier been located in the United Arab Emirates, where efforts to secure his extradition did not succeed. Investigators now believe he entered Oman using a forged passport allegedly obtained from a Southeast Asian country, a development that has also led to separate proceedings under Omani law. The additional passport-related allegations could influence the timeline of India’s extradition request.
Apart from Chandrakar, the ED continues to pursue other absconding accused, including Ravi Uppal and Vikas Chapria. The agency has also sought to have key accused declared Fugitive Economic Offenders under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, a move that would enable broader confiscation of assets and strengthen efforts to bring them back to India to face prosecution.
