RAIPUR: Not long ago, Sourabh Chandrakar was an ordinary young man from Bhilai, working at a juice shop and earning around Rs 15,000 a month.Within a few years, he was living in Dubai’s luxury villas, travelling by chartered aircraft and hosting a wedding that investigators estimate cost an astonishing Rs 200 crore.Between those two worlds lies the story of Mahadev Online Book, an alleged international betting empire that grew out of Chhattisgarh and went on to become one of India’s biggest money-laundering investigations.On Sunday, the man who once appeared beyond the reach of Indian investigators was brought back from Oman following extradition proceedings.He is accused of running an illegal betting syndicate with associates, including fellow Bhilai resident Ravi Uppal, and faces proceedings in two CBI cases and an Enforcement Directorate money-laundering case.His return has brought renewed attention to a remarkable transformation, and to the unanswered question of how a modest business in an industrial township allegedly evolved into a network handling enormous sums of money across international borders.He is likely to be produced at a CBI court in Raipur on Monday evening.
The Bhilai beginnings
Chandrakar grew up in an ordinary family in Bhilai. His father worked with Bhilai municipal corporation, while his mother was a homemaker.Local accounts suggest he began earning at a young age, working in garment shops in Bhilai in around 2014–15 before becoming associated with a juice business.The family operated a shop called ‘Juice Factory’ in Nehru Nagar. According to details emerging from the ED investigation, Chandrakar drew around Rs 15,000 a month from the establishment.His acquaintance with Ravi Uppal, another Bhilai resident associated with betting activities, would become central to his subsequent business ventures.Investigators allege that the two eventually developed a betting operation that expanded far beyond Chhattisgarh, using Dubai as its principal base.
The gambler who bet it all: From Dubai’s luxury to an Oman arrest
The growth coincided with the rapid expansion of online gaming and betting platforms, particularly during the Covid-19 period.What initially appeared to be a small operation allegedly developed into a vast network of agents, franchise operators and intermediaries.
A betting empire operated from Dubai
According to ED and CBI, Chandrakar and Uppal were principal promoters of Mahadev Online Book, a platform allegedly used to facilitate illegal betting on cricket, football, tennis, card games and other events.Investigators told TOI that the operation was controlled from a central office in Dubai, with thousands of franchised panels and branches operating across India.Local operators were provided access credentials and were responsible for enrolling customers, managing accounts and collecting money.WhatsApp, Telegram and other digital platforms were allegedly used to attract customers and facilitate communication.ED has said the syndicate operated on a profit-sharing arrangement, under which a substantial portion of the collections was routed to those controlling the platform.The investigation also identified suspected links with other betting platforms, including Reddy Anna, Fairplay, Skyexchange and Lotus365.According to investigators, money moved through numerous bank accounts, including accounts allegedly obtained using questionable documentation or operated by intermediaries.Funds were then layered through multiple transactions and allegedly transferred abroad through hawala channels.The agencies have also accused the syndicate of paying protection money to public servants to ensure its operations continued without interference.
The Rs 200-crore wedding that drew national attention
If Chandrakar’s financial rise had largely remained outside public attention, his February 2023 wedding in Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE, changed that.The celebration became one of the most widely discussed episodes of the Mahadev investigation.According to ED, approximately Rs 200 crore was spent on the wedding and associated festivities, with chartered aircraft arranged to transport guests and performers from India.Luxury hotels, elaborate decorations, entertainment programmes and expensive travel arrangements formed part of the celebrations.ED alleged that payments were made through cash and hawala channels, including Rs 112 crore transferred to an event management company and hotel bookings worth approximately Rs 42 crore.Investigators examined the involvement of event organisers, travel agents, hotel operators and entertainment professionals to trace the source and movement of the money.The wedding offered investigators a window into the financial ecosystem surrounding the alleged betting syndicate.In March 2026, ED provisionally attached properties with an estimated fair market value of nearly Rs 1,700 crore, including 18 properties in Dubai and two in New Delhi.Investigators also examined his acquisition of a passport from Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation.According to investigative records cited in reports, Chandrakar obtained a Vanuatu passport in May 2022, despite holding an Indian passport at the time.The circumstances surrounding his foreign citizenship and movements between countries became relevant to efforts to locate him and secure his return to India.
How Mahadev became a political controversy
The betting investigation eventually reached Chhattisgarh’s political establishment.ED alleged that proceeds from the syndicate were used to pay protection money to govt functionaries, while claims concerning political beneficiaries sparked a major controversy during the 2023 assembly election campaign.One of the most contentious allegations concerned an alleged payment of Rs 508 crore linked to then chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.Baghel denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated. The claims remain matters of investigation and legal proceedings and have not been established as findings of guilt.After the BJP came to power, Chhattisgarh’s Economic Offences Wing registered an FIR in March 2024 naming Baghel, Chandrakar, Uppal, Shubham Soni and others as accused.The state subsequently transferred cases linked to the betting syndicate to CBI.
From Dubai luxury to extradition from Oman
Chandrakar left India on February 16, 2022, according to investigative records, and remained outside the country as Indian agencies pursued cases against him.He was subsequently located in Oman, where authorities detained him following an Interpol Red Corner Notice.CBI and ED submitted formal extradition requests, supported by evidence gathered during their investigations. Following coordination between Indian agencies and the Omani authorities, he was brought back to India on November 1, 2026.He is due to face proceedings before the special CBI court in Raipur.For investigators, his return offers an opportunity to question a principal accused about the organisation’s operations, financial transactions, overseas assets and alleged payments to public servants.For Chhattisgarh, the case has come full circle.Chandrakar’s extradition may help investigators pursue many answers. Whether the allegations withstand judicial scrutiny will ultimately be determined in court.
