ED seeks Interpol red notice against Mahadev promoters

The agency has accused the founders of the Mahadev betting app of paying bribes to politicians and officials in Chhattisgarh.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Interpol to issue red notices against the two founders of the under-probe Mahadev betting app who allegedly paid bribes to politicians and officials in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, people familiar with developments said on Monday.

The Enforcement Directorate. (Representative image.)

The federal financial crimes agency is also seeking the extradition of the two men — Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal — from the United Arab Emirates, where they are said to be hiding, said the people cited above.

“We have asked Interpol to issue red notices against Mahadev promoters as a charge sheet has already been filed against them (last month),” said an officer, who didn’t want to be named. A red notice, equivalent to a global arrest warrant, restricts movement of a fugitive in other countries.

“The next step would be seeking their extradition based on the charge sheet and other documentary and digital evidence, which has revealed that they were running an illegal betting racket worth thousands of crores by bribing politicians, government officers, etc.,” the officer added, requesting anonymity.

The development came days after ED said that an email statement from a suspect in the alleged Mahadev betting app scam revealed that promoters of the operation paid bribes worth ₹508 crore to chief minister BhupeshBaghel, and that cash worth ₹5.39 crore seized by them last week from a hotel in Raipur was being delivered for the Congress party’s poll expenditure.

Baghel has denied the allegations, and said that the allegations were politically motivated. “I have already said the BJP, anticipating its defeat in the Chhattisgarh polls, has put ED and IT department in front,” he told reporters on Monday.

Mahadev app facilitated illegal betting facilities in live games such as poker, card games, chance games, betting on cricket, badminton, tennis, football, etc, and also provided a facility for playing a number of card games. It also provided access to apps that allow placing bets on elections in India. It was blocked, alongside 21 other illegal betting platforms, by the Centre on Sunday.

ED started investigating the Mahadev Book Online Betting App syndicate in July 2022 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It alleges that the promoters of the app, identified as Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, are based overseas and remotely ran illegal betting operations with proceeds of crimes running into several thousand crores. Over the past three-four months, ED has arrested four people, and have seized more than ₹450 crore.

Last Friday, ED arrested two more people, Asim Das and Bhim Singh Yadav, and produced them before a special Raipur court. In their remand note, they said that another suspect, identified as Shubham Soni, a “prominent member” of the financial operations of the alleged scam, was asked to appear before the agency on October 26, but sent his submissions via email. The two men have been remanded in ED custody for seven days.

“In his email submission, he [Soni] has stated that kickback funds were indeed being paid regularly on behalf of Mahadev Book to the political executives for ensuring smooth operation of betting operations in the state of Chhattisgarh. He has named ‘Verma Ji’ as one of the conduits for bribe/profit share payments,” ED said.

The remand note, seen by HT, says that an examination of the email dated November 2 from Soni also revealed other “startling allegations”. “Namely, that regular bribe payments have been made in the past and so far around ₹508 crore have been paid by Mahadev App promoters to Bhupesh Baghel, chief minister of Chhattisgarh,” it said.

In its charge sheet filed against the promoters last month, ED said that the “tentacles of online betting and money laundering racket have spread far and wide”.

“The criminality stems from the fact that many of these betting activities are not permissible activities. Benami bank accounts are being used to receive and to pay money to the players,” the charge sheet said. A copy has been seen by HT.

“All these transactions are not accounted for and are not brought into the tax net. Hawala channels are being used to move funds across international borders,” the charge sheet said. “The promoters, who are natives of Chhattisgarh, have comfortably parked themselves out of India and created assets for themselves across the globe, but they still rely on their links back in Chhattisgarh to have a steady supply of army of youth who are willing to relocate and work on Mahadev online app,” it added.

Talking to reporters in Raipur, Baghel said the Centre should identify fake bank accounts being used for online betting in the country and freeze them immediately.

“I have already said the BJP, anticipating its defeat in the Chhattisgarh polls, has put the ED and I-T in the front. The person (referring to ‘cash courier’ Asim Das) who has been arrested (by ED) is said to be close to the BJP and the vehicle (from where cash linked to Mahadev betting app was seized) also belongs to some BJP leader. So, the person and the vehicle belong to them, while the ED which has taken action (in app case) functions as a BJP wing,” the Congress leader alleged.

Targetting Baghel, Union minister Smriti Irani said, “I am shocked that the Congress is fighting the Chhattisgarh elections with support from hawala operators in Dubai.”