New Delhi, September 24 (TNA) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Abhishek Kumar, one of the wanted kingpins in the multi-crore Mahadev Online Betting App scam, immediately after his arrival from Dubai at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, the agency announced in a press release on Wednesday.
A key operational role
According to the CBI, its investigation has revealed that Kumar played an active role in running the betting and gambling operations under Mahadev Book, including coordinating betting panels, collecting funds, and acquiring immovable assets in Dubai using proceeds from the illegal operations.
Incriminating material was seized from his possession during a search conducted immediately after his arrest, which the agency said prima facie establishes his active involvement in running the app. He is said to have worked closely with two other main accused in the case, Saurabh Chandrakar and Shubham Soni.
Custody and legal proceedings
Kumar was produced before a local court in Hyderabad immediately after his arrest and granted three days' transit remand. He was subsequently taken to Raipur and produced before a local court there, where he was remanded to two days of police custody.
Part of a wider crackdown
The arrest is the latest development in a sprawling investigation into the Mahadev Betting App, one of India's largest illegal online betting syndicates, allegedly run from abroad and estimated in earlier reporting to have defrauded users of thousands of crores of rupees. The Chhattisgarh government transferred 13 FIRs registered across different police stations in the state relating to the app to the CBI, which took over the cases.
The agency has so far filed eight chargesheets naming 100 accused, including the app's main promoters, panel operators, hawala operators, and public servants of the Government of Chhattisgarh.
The CBI said further investigation is ongoing to trace other absconding accused. Efforts to extradite the app's main promoters-including previously reported figures such as Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal-remain underway, with seven Red Corner Notices and two extradition proposals issued so far, and extradition proceedings against two accused currently in progress.
The CBI reiterated its commitment to bringing all those involved in the illegal betting operations to justice and to tracing the proceeds of crime generated through the network.