New Delhi: It carried out raids at 33 locations across six states in the last few days as part of the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) illegal betting probe, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Saturday.
These were based on the interrogation of Sourabh Chandrakar, the arrested founder-mastermind of the multi-crore racket.
Chandrakar was extradited from Oman on November 1 after evading arrest for over the last 5-6 years and was interrogated at length by the CBI from November 2 to 12. He is currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel money-laundering investigation into the Mahadev betting case.
“CBI conducted searches at 33 locations across six states at the premises of the panel operators of the illegal online betting platform of the Mahadev Online Book app in the last few days. The searches were carried out on the basis of disclosures made by the key accused Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the principal promoters of the platform, after his extradition from the Sultanate of Oman,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
The proceeds linked to the Mahadev app and other related platforms is around Rs 94,000 crore, the ED has estimated, of which Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crore has already been remitted to the promoters, as reported by Hindustan Times.
During these searches, “live betting and gambling panels were found running and were dismantled”, the spokesperson said.
Digital devices, mobile phones and incriminating documents showing the use of mule accounts and a hawala network have also been recovered and seized, the CBI said.
Chandrakar’s interrogation has also revealed details about how the platform and its network of panel operators in India operate, the agency said.
“He was also confronted with the documentary and digital evidence collected during the investigation,” it said.
“Investigation conducted so far has revealed that the platform is run from abroad through a head office (Dubai) and operates in India through a large network of panel operators. These operators handle customer IDs, collect betting money in the bank accounts exclusively opened or hired in the names of other persons, and send the profits abroad through hawala “channels,” the CBI said.
The role of the other accused, including those located abroad, the persons who facilitated the operations and the public servants concerned, is also being probed by the CBI.
Steps are also being taken to extradite the other absconding accused persons, it said.
Chandrakar’s business partner and another key mastermind, Ravi Uppal, has already been arrested in Dubai, and India is seeking his extradition soon, it was reported earlier.
