CBI busts Mahadev betting panels across 6 states

Agency teams raided properties in Amritsar, Delhi, Nagaur, Dholpur, Bhopal, Raipur, Durg, Indore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Mumbai, and Nagpur over the past few days.

Investigators launched these operations following disclosures from principal promoter Sourabh Chandrakar after authorities extradited him from the Sultanate of Oman.

During the raids, CBI officers dismantled live betting panels and seized digital devices, mobile phones, and incriminating documents exposing mule accounts and a hawala network.

The CBI arrested Chandrakar on November 1 following his extradition, and a Special Judge in Raipur granted the agency eight days of police custody for interrogation.

Questioning revealed crucial details about the illegal betting platform’s operations and its extensive network of panel operators across India, as investigators confronted him with digital evidence.

The central agency had previously registered two FIRs in the case after the Chhattisgarh government transferred the investigation to the CBI.

Investigations show foreign handlers run the platform through an overseas head office while Indian panel operators manage customer IDs and collect betting money in hired bank accounts.

These operators then route the illicit profits abroad through illegal hawala channels, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Following his police custody, the CBI produced Chandrakar before the Raipur court on November 12, which remanded him to judicial custody until November 19.

Officials are continuing the probe to identify other conspirators, including overseas operators, local facilitators, and allegedly involved public servants, while working to extradite absconding accused persons.

The agency also warned citizens that online gambling is illegal and lending bank accounts, SIM cards, or identity documents for such activities invites criminal prosecution.