Mahadev App Scandal: Extradition of Kingpin Sourabh Chandrakar Set to Uncover Political Protection Rackets, Says Chhattisgarh CM
Sourabh Chandrakar, the prime accused in the multi-billion-dollar Mahadev online betting syndicate, has been brought back from Oman and placed under CBI remand. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister asserts that this legal breakthrough will expose influential figures who allegedly profited from shielding the illegal enterprise.
- Prime accused Sourabh Chandrakar was successfully extradited from Oman and remanded to two days of CBI custody.
- The ongoing federal investigation previously named former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as a co-accused in a 2024 FIR.
- State leadership claims the development will unmask high-level political figures who collected protection payoffs for the illicit betting network.
Federal authorities have secured the custody of Sourabh Chandrakar, the alleged mastermind behind the sprawling Mahadev online betting enterprise, following his high-profile extradition from Oman on Monday. The central anti-corruption agency successfully moved the accused into a two-day investigative custody period to interrogate him regarding financial flows, money laundering channels, and deep-rooted domestic and international syndicates tied to the platform.
This legal milestone marks a significant escalation in a high-stakes financial crime probe that has dominated national headlines for over a year. The underground betting network, which allegedly generated massive illicit revenues through offshore applications, previously ensnared several high-profile political figures and Bollywood celebrities. Notably, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was formally implicated as a co-accused in a central enforcement agency First Information Report registered in 2024, casting a long shadow over regional governance and election financing.
