Following the arrest of Sourabh Chandrakar, a prominent promoter of the Mahadev Betting App, in Dubai, the Central government is making efforts to expedite his extradition to India, as stated by Ram Gopal Garg, Inspector General of Police (Durg Range).
As reported by ANI, Chandrakar, the alleged kingpin of the Mahadev betting app scam, was arrested following a Red Corner Notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate last year.
Also Read: Mahadev online betting app: The rise of Sourabh Chandrakar from juice seller to gambling kingpin
“The (extradition) process is ongoing, and very soon the Indian government will extradite him to India. Efforts will be made to expedite this process. Several cases, including those related to online gambling, are registered against him,” the police official said.
As per the officials, United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities officially communicated with their counterparts in the Ministry o External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday informing about the arrest of Chandrakar.
ED officials stated that the documentation process for the extradition will be finalized in the coming days and submitted to the UAE authorities to facilitate Chandrakar's return to India, ANI reported.
In December last year, Chandrakar, was put under "house detention" in Dubai and Indian probe agencies, including the ED, were “alerted”.
ANI reported citing sources, Indian agencies are engaging through diplomatic channels to secure the deportation or extradition of Chandrakar who is crucial to the money laundering case and police investigation related to the alleged illegal activities of the 'Mahadev Book Online' app, which is connected to political figures in Chhattisgarh and other regions.
In its initial charge sheet submitted to a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) named Sourabh Chandrakar, Uppal, and several others.
The charge sheet included a statement from Dilip Chandrakar, Sourabh's uncle, indicating that prior to moving to Dubai in 2019, Sourabh ran a juice shop called 'Juice Factory' with his brother in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh.
The ED also alleged that Sourabh married in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023, with around ₹200 crore spent on the wedding, which involved hiring private jets for relatives from India and engaging celebrities for performances.
The ED estimates that the projected proceeds of crime in this case amount to approximately ₹6,000 crore.
Officials stated that the ED investigation revealed that the Mahadev Online Book App is managed from a central headquarters in the UAE. It operates by franchising "panels and branches" to associates, sharing profits in a 70-30 per cent ratio.
(With inputs from ANI)
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