Mastermind of ₹6,000cr Mahadev betting syndicate detained in Oman
What's the story
Sourabh Chandrakar, the fugitive mastermind behind the ₹6,000 crore Mahadev online gambling syndicate, has been detained in Oman. His arrest comes after Indian agencies issued an Interpol notice against him. He was last known to be in the UAE and was reportedly traveling to Oman on a fake passport obtained from a Southeast Asian country.
Legal proceedings
Extradition request for Chandrakar being sent
An extradition request for Chandrakar is being sent to Muscat. The move comes as India and Oman share an extradition treaty. Indian officials are hopeful that this could be the first step in bringing Chandrakar back to India, where he has been wanted since 2019. His earlier extradition requests to the UAE were unsuccessful, even though he was detained in Dubai in 2024 but later released.
Syndicate details
Chandrakar co-founded Mahadev with Ravi Uppal
Chandrakar, in his early 30s, co-founded the Mahadev betting empire with Ravi Uppal. The two fled to Dubai in 2019, where their network allegedly continues to operate betting apps and websites. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Chhattisgarh Police are also probing the Mahadev founders along with several public servants in Raipur over these illegal betting operations.
Financial impact
Illegal operations continue across India
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that the "betting empire" was operating at least 3,200 betting panels in different cities, generating around ₹240 crore per day. Chandrakar and Uppal had even rented 20 villas in Dubai to accommodate their staff of 3,500. The illegal betting operations continue to run across India despite government bans on several Mahadev-linked platforms and apps.