India steps up crackdown on Mahadev online betting network

The Enforcement Directorate has attached US$2.6m in assets in India and Dubai in the Mahadev Online Book case, as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal online betting and money laundering activities.

India.- India’s long-running investigation into the Mahadev online betting scandal has entered a new phase, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issuing fresh provisional attachment orders under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The latest measures target movable and immovable assets valued at approximately US$2,6m, spanning properties in India and Dubai and linked to key promoters and associates of the illegal betting network.

At the centre of the case are Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandrakar, alleged masterminds behind the Mahadev Online Book app, described by authorities as an umbrella platform facilitating multiple illegal betting websites. The ED has attached a luxury apartment in Dubai’s Atria Ra complex belonging to Uppal, who remains absconding. Chandrakar, whose last known location was also in the United Arab Emirates, faces similar action as Indian authorities pursue extradition efforts.

The latest attachment also includes assets belonging to several alleged operators and facilitators within the syndicate. These range from residential houses and commercial shops to agricultural land and vehicles, reflecting what investigators describe as a franchise-style “panel” system used to expand the betting operation across multiple Indian states.

According to the ED, the Mahadev network relied on hundreds of betting panels operated by local partners, while the core promoters allegedly retained 70–75 per cent of the profits. Funds generated through illegal betting were reportedly laundered via hawala channels, trade-based money laundering, mule bank accounts and crypto assets, before being routed back into India through foreign portfolio investments.

The investigation, initiated on the basis of FIRs filed by police in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, has so far led to 13 arrests and the filing of five prosecution complaints, with 74 entities named as accused. Authorities have searched more than 175 premises nationwide, highlighting the scale and sophistication of the operation.

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The Enforcement Directorate has attached US$2.6m in assets in India and Dubai in the Mahadev Online Book case, as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal online betting and money…