Mahadev Betting App Kingpin Sourabh Chandrakar Detained In Oman, India Seeks Deportation

Last Updated:July 08, 2026, 21:40 IST

India is pursuing his return through either extradition or deportation, expressing confidence that cooperation with Oman would help facilitate the process.

Absconding Mahadev betting app founder and prime accused Sourabh Chandrakar has been detained in Oman, with Indian authorities now working to secure either his extradition or deportation, officials said on Wednesday.

According to officials, Chandrakar, a Chhattisgarh native in his 30s, was detained by the Royal Oman Police a few weeks ago based on an Interpol Red Notice issued at the request of Indian agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Chhattisgarh Police.

Investigators said Chandrakar was allegedly travelling on a passport issued by a Southeast Asian country. His detention marks the latest breakthrough in the probe into the alleged betting syndicate, which Indian agencies claim generated proceeds of crime worth about Rs 6,000 crore.

Officials said India is pursuing his return through either extradition or deportation, expressing confidence that cooperation with Oman would help facilitate the process.

This is not the first time Chandrakar has been detained abroad. Indian agencies had earlier tracked him to Dubai, where UAE authorities briefly detained him in 2024 before releasing him. His business partner and Mahadev app co-founder Ravi Uppal is believed to have subsequently fled from Dubai to Vanuatu, according to investigators.

What are the allegations in the Mahadev betting app case?

The ED alleges that the Mahadev app functioned as a sprawling international betting syndicate, facilitating illegal online betting through multiple platforms and domain names, including Tiger Exchange, Gold365 and Laser247.

According to the agency, the operation ran through a franchise-style network of “panels" and “branches" spread across India, while Chandrakar and Uppal allegedly managed and controlled the syndicate from Dubai.

The federal anti-money laundering agency has alleged that the betting network generated proceeds of crime worth around Rs 6,000 crore and that the case has links to several high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh.

In March this year, the ED attached assets worth Rs 1,700 crore allegedly linked to Chandrakar and his associates. The attached properties are largely located in Dubai and include assets in the Burj Khalifa.

The agency has so far arrested 13 people in the case and named 74 entities as accused across five charge sheets filed before a special PMLA court in Raipur.

The ED has also moved court seeking to have Chandrakar, Uppal and other accused, including Anil Agrawal alias Atul and Shubham Soni, declared Fugitive Economic Offenders under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.

From a juice shop to an international probe

Investigators say Chandrakar left India for Dubai in 2019. Before moving overseas, he reportedly ran a juice shop called “Juice Factory" with his brother in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh’s Durg district.

Over the course of the investigation, Indian agencies have alleged that the Mahadev betting network expanded into one of the country’s largest illegal online betting operations with links extending beyond India.

Chandrakar and Uppal have, however, consistently denied any involvement in the alleged betting racket through statements issued in the past.

About the Author

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has c...Read More

News india Mahadev Betting App Kingpin Sourabh Chandrakar Detained In Oman, India Seeks Deportation

Read More