New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has received confirmation from Oman that it can prosecute Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the fugitive promoters of Mahadev Online Book and a key accused in the alleged multi-crore illegal betting syndicate, in two cases registered by the agency, ThePrint has learnt.
Wanted in two CBI cases and a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chandrakar was taken into custody on Sunday evening after a CBI team brought him back from Oman. The agency produced him before Principal District and Sessions Judge Nikhil Chopra at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Monday, seeking a two-day transit remand to take him before a Special CBI Court in Raipur, where the Mahadev Online case is being heard.
However, Chandrakar’s counsel, Tushar Giri, challenged the arrest, arguing that the extradition order was based on an undertaking by the Government of India that his client would not face trial in any case other than the ED’s money laundering case, as specified in the order passed in Oman.
“The Omani court extradition order doesn’t mention the CBI case at all,” Giri argued, questioning the agency’s jurisdiction to arrest his client. “I am just arguing on the legality of the arrest… Not disputing ED’s right to arrest. I am not saying ED can’t take him into custody, but for the CBI to do so when its extradition request did not culminate in a judicial order is in the teeth of the law,” he told the court.
However, hours after the hearing, the CBI received confirmation from the Omani National Central Bureau (NCB) that Chandrakar’s extradition was not limited to the ED’s request.
“We would like to confirm that the Omani judiciary has approved the extradition of the aforementioned subject to your country based on the extradition requests submitted by your authorities. As you have inquired about whether the extradition covers the cases filed against him, we confirm that the extradition of the subject covers the cases and he may be tried in India for the offences specified in the requests submitted for the following cases,” the Omani NCB wrote in response to the CBI’s query. The communication listed the two CBI cases, filed on 18 and 19 December 2024, and the ED’s money laundering case, initiated in October 2022.
“This is upon fulfilling all legal conditions, concluding the procedures, and executing the related local judicial judgments against him within the Sultanate of Oman,” the Omani NCB further informed its Indian counterpart.
The CBI submitted a copy of the communication before a Special CBI Court in Raipur, which on Wednesday granted the agency eight days of custody of Chandrakar. The court allowed the CBI’s plea to take him into custody for questioning in the alleged betting operations case, which is estimated to have generated proceeds of crime worth up to Rs 75,000 crore.
Notably, despite Giri’s objections, the Delhi court had granted Chandrakar transit remand, observing that it “cannot be oblivious of the fact that the proceedings of the ED case arise out of the predicate offence” being investigated by the CBI.
When approached by ThePrint for a comment on the development, Giri reiterated his argument. “The communication produced by the CBI is between two agencies of the countries, and not a binding judicial order,” he said.
This is an updated version of the report.
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)