ED arrests Saurabh Chandrakar, secures his 7-day custody

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Saurabh Chandrakar, who was in judicial custody after his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over his alleged role as co-promoter of the Mahadev online betting syndicate, agency officials said, adding that a court in Raipur granted them seven-day custody to question him The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Saurabh Chandrakar, who was in judicial custody after his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over his alleged role as co-promoter of the Mahadev online betting syndicate, agency officials said, adding that a court in Raipur granted them seven-day custody to question him.India News“Chandrakar, co-owner and promoter of the Mahadev Online Book illegal betting syndicate, under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act with the permission of the Special Court (PMLA), Raipur. The court has remanded him to ED custody for seven days till 19th November for further investigation. He is the first promoter of the syndicate to be brought back to India,” ED said in a statement.The development came a day after the court allowed the agency’s application seeking a production warrant.Chandrakar, along with another key accused and co-promoter Ravi Uppal operated “Mahadev Online Book” (various online betting websites) from the syndicate’s head office in Dubai through a franchise of “betting panels” across India and the UAE.“Player money went through bank accounts held in other people’s names and left India through hawala,” ED statement added.Chandrakar, ED said, did not answer the summons issued to him in September 2023 and continued to evade investigation by law enforcement agencies.ED has estimated the proceeds linked to the Mahadev app and other related platforms to be worth around ₹94,000 crore, out of which ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 crore has already been remitted to the promoters.In this case, ED has so far searched about 190 premises, seized or frozen assets worth about ₹2,000 crore and attached property now valued at about ₹3,500 crore, about ₹1,800 crore of it abroad, including 22 immovable properties in Dubai. It has filed six prosecution complaints against 116 accused.Chandrakar is the 15th person arrested by ED in this case.“In ED custody, Saurabh Chandrakar will be confronted with the statements of his associates, digital data and documents concerning his foreign entities and evidences of commission of offence of money laundering,” the agency said.Chandrakar was extradited from Oman on the orders of the Muscat Court of Appeal, which ruled in India’s favour, while rejecting a competing extradition request from the UAE.He was arrested on November 1, after being surrendered to India by the Sultanate of Oman, where he had been detained over alleged illegal entry using forged travel documents, the CBI told the court. HT first reported on November 1 about Chandrakar’s return from Oman.Neeraj Chauhan is a senior journalist with Hindustan Times and an investigative reporter specialising in national security, terrorism, organised crime, narcotics, corruption, financial crime and complex investigations. With over 21 years of experience across Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Indian Express and The Pioneer, he has built deep expertise in India’s internal security and law-enforcement landscape. Neeraj has extensively covered India’s principal investigative, intelligence and security agencies, including the NIA, CBI, ED, IB, R&AW, MHA and other central security forces. His work has included deeply reported investigations into terrorism, terror financing, cross-border crime, narcotics trafficking, cybercrime, financial fraud and political and corporate corruption. He has reported on some of the most significant terror attacks and security developments in India over the past two decades, including the Delhi serial blasts, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and the recent Pahalgam attack. His reporting has also chronicled the rise and decline of the Indian Mujahideen, the activities and subsequent crackdown on the Popular Front of India (PFI), Islamist extremist networks, the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgencies in the Northeast and Maoist violence. Some of Neeraj’s major breaking stories are in Aryan Khan drug case, Sushant Singh Rajput suicide, interception of a 3,000-kg Afghan heroin consignment worth about ₹21,000 crore at Mundra port, Sri Lanka easter bombings, Aarushi-Hemraj murders in Noida, 2G scam, coal block allocation scam, AgustWestland VVIP chopper deal and major bank frauds and extradition cases involving Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya. His reporting is marked by an ability to cultivate sources, analyse confidential and complex documents, and follow investigations over several years—from the initial breakthrough to chargesheets, trials and international legal proceedings. He specialises in making complicated security and investigative developments accessible while examining their wider implications for governance and public policy. A Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme Fellow at the University of Westminster, Neeraj also spent time at the Financial Times as part of the fellowship. He was also a Robert Bosch Media Ambassadors India-Germany Fellow, studying at the University of Tübingen and working with Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin. He has previously taught investigative journalism and crime reporting as a guest faculty member at the Times School of Journalism. Over more than two decades, Neeraj has established himself as an authoritative voice on India’s national security and investigative landscape, with his reporting closely followed by officials, investigators, lawyers, policymakers and readers seeking insight into some of the country’s most complex and consequential developments.Read MoreRitesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More