The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has significantly expanded its investigation into the multi-crore Mahadev Online Book betting case, attaching properties worth approximately ₹1,700 crore, including high-value real estate assets in Dubai.
According to officials cited in reports, the attached assets include luxury apartments in Dubai Hills Estate—Hills View, Fairway Residency, and Sidra—as well as premium units in Business Bay and SLS Hotel & Residences. Notably, a residential unit in the iconic Burj Khalifa has also been brought under the enforcement action.
Authorities stated that the properties are linked to Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the key promoters of the Mahadev Online Book platform.
“These assets were acquired from proceeds of crime generated through illegal online betting operations,” an ED official said, adding that the properties were held through a network of entities controlled by Chandrakar and his associates, including Vikas Chhaparia, Rohit Gulati, Atul Arora, Nitin Tibrewal, and Surendra Bagri.
Inside the Mahadev Betting App Case
The Mahadev Online Book case revolves around an extensive illegal betting network allegedly involving thousands of crores. Investigators have uncovered a sophisticated system that utilised fake bank accounts, shell companies, overseas call centres, and hawala channels to route funds.
The platform is accused of enabling betting on a wide range of activities, including live card games such as poker and teen patti, as well as virtual sports like cricket, badminton, tennis, and football. Reports also suggest that users were allowed to place bets on elections in India.
Originally based in Bhilai, Chandrakar and his associates are alleged to have built a massive user base and generated illegal earnings exceeding ₹5,000 crore. A significant portion of these proceeds was reportedly routed abroad through hawala networks and layered financial transactions, before being reinvested in assets in the UAE and India.
The ED initiated its probe based on multiple FIRs registered in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal against individuals linked to illegal betting platforms, including Mahadev Online Book and Skyexchange.
Operational Structure and Network
Investigators have described the operation as a franchise-based model, with multiple “panels” or branches managed by associates across India. While local operators handled day-to-day activities, the core network was allegedly controlled from Dubai by Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal.
Promoters are believed to have retained 70–75% of the profits, with the remainder distributed among panel operators. Funds were channelled through thousands of mule accounts created using unsuspecting individuals’ KYC details, before being transferred overseas via hawala, cryptocurrency, and other complex financial routes.
Arrests and Ongoing Investigation
Ravi Uppal was arrested by Dubai Police in December 2023 following an ED request, and extradition proceedings were initiated. However, he later fled and is currently suspected to be in Vanuatu, where he is believed to have acquired citizenship.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court of India directed the ED to trace Uppal, observing that key accused were treating investigative agencies and courts as “mere instruments.”
So far, the ED has conducted searches at over 175 locations across India. A total of 13 individuals have been arrested, while 74 others have been named as accused in five prosecution complaints filed before a Raipur court.
Officials stated that the cumulative value of assets attached, seized, or frozen in the case now stands at approximately ₹4,336 crore, marking one of the largest crackdowns on illegal betting networks in recent years.
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