The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its probe into the Mahadev online betting app money laundering case, launching a fresh wave of raids on Wednesday across various parts of the country.
The latest operation saw ED officials carry out coordinated searches in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Indore, and Sambalpur. The scale of the action signals the seriousness with which the authorities are pursuing this high-profile investigation.
The case has already garnered significant national attention amid allegations of involvement by senior politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, who are suspected of playing roles in the illicit operations and financial dealings linked to the app.
This is not the first time that enforcement agencies have acted in connection with the case. The ED had earlier alleged that the Mahadev Online Betting (MOB) app operates as an extensive syndicate, managing a series of unlawful betting platforms.
The app allegedly facilitates the creation of user IDs and is suspected of laundering large sums of money through numerous benami (proxy) bank accounts.
The app’s key promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, are reportedly operating out of Dubai, adding an international dimension to the investigation.
According to a statement from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the involvement of the Dubai-based duo has significantly complicated the probe.
The CBI, which has now formally joined the investigation, recently carried out its own round of searches at 60 locations across Bhopal, Raipur, Kolkata, and Delhi.
These raids focused on premises linked to political leaders, senior officials, police personnel, and other individuals suspected of being part of the sprawling illegal betting network.
The case was initially brought to light by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Raipur, before the Chhattisgarh government transferred it to the CBI for a more thorough and expansive investigation.
According to the CBI, the accused promoters allegedly paid hefty sums as “protection money” to several public officials, which enabled them to run their betting operations with impunity.
While the CBI continues to probe the nexus between public servants and the illegal betting ring, the ED has also pressed forward with its own investigation, asserting that multiple high-profile politicians and senior bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh are deeply entangled in the web of financial misconduct.
The joint effort by the ED and the CBI reflects the gravity of the case, as both agencies aim to untangle the complex money trail, identify all those involved, and bring accountability to the fore.
This coordinated crackdown indicates the authorities’ resolve to dismantle not only the operations of the Mahadev app but also to expose and prosecute those in power who may have enabled or protected it.
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