New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate’s probe in the multi crore Mahadev app has now reached one of the world’s most recognisable addresses—the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Properties worth Rs 1,700 crore were attached that included apartments in Dubai Hills Estate including Hills View, Fairway residency and Sidra, high-end apartments in Business Bay and SLS Hotel & Residences and an apartment in the iconic Burj Khalifa, an ED officer confirmed.
According to ED officials, the properties belonged to Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev Online Book betting application.
“The properties were acquired from the proceeds of crime generated by commission of scheduled offences related to illegal online betting operations in the name of Mahadev Online Book platform and several others,” the ED officer said. “Properties were held in the name of entities controlled by him, his associates including Vikas Chhaparia, Rohit Gulati, Atul Arora, Nitin Tibrewal, Surendra Bagri.”
The Mahadev app case pertains to an alleged illegal betting platform that involves thousands of crores stashed in bank accounts opened using purported fake identities, an “intricate network of shell companies, call centres operating from outside India, and a robust hawala system”.
Sources had told ThePrint that the Mahadev Online Book, a mobile app, provides a platform for alleged illegal betting, on live games such as poker, other card games and chance games, besides virtual cricket, badminton, tennis and football, among others. It also allows visitors to play card games like teen patti, poker and ‘Dragon Tiger’, among others. The mobile app also gives visitors the option to bet on elections in India.
Originally from Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai, Chandrakar and his associates are alleged to have built a customer base of thousands, illegally amassing over Rs 5,000 crore in the process, which is regularly sent abroad through hawala channels and then used to pay kickbacks to stakeholders in India.
The ED initiated investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal police against persons related to illegal online betting platforms including Mahadev Online Book, Skyexchange as well as government officials.
“Investigation conducted by the ED has revealed that the betting operation was structured through a franchise-based network of ‘Panels’ or ‘Branches’ operated by associates across India, while the main promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal operated and controlled the betting syndicate from Dubai,” the officer said.
Uppal was arrested by Dubai Police in December 2023, on a request made by the ED, following which it had also initiated an extradition request. However, he managed to flee. It was reported that he fled to the UAE and then left from there.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court directed the ED to trace him observing that “kingpins” like him treat courts and investigating agencies as “mere instruments” to play around with. He is suspected to be in island nation Vanuatu where he is believed to have taken a citizenship too.
The ED claimed that the promoters retained approximately 70–75 percent of the profits generated by the betting panels, while the remaining portion was distributed among panel operators managing the betting operations.
“The proceeds generated from commission of scheduled offences were systematically layered through thousands of mules or dummy bank accounts opened using KYC documents of unsuspecting individuals,” the officer explained.
“Subsequently, the illicit funds were transferred outside India through hawala channels, cryptocurrency transactions and complex financial layering mechanisms, and were eventually invested in high-value movable and immovable assets in the UAE and India.”
So far, the ED has conducted search operations at more than 175 premises across India. Till now, 13 people were arrested and 74 others arraigned as accused in five prosecution complaints filed before a Raipur court.
“As on date, total attachment, seizure, freezing of movable and immovable properties stands approximately at Rs 4,336 crore,” the officer said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)