Saurabh Chandrakar Remanded in CBI Custody as Probe Turns to Dubai-Based Accused
· India · Indian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times
Saurabh Chandrakar, 31, the alleged kingpin of the Mahadev betting app, was remanded in CBI custody for eight days and will be taken to New Delhi headquarters. The investigation has shifted focus to Dubai-based associates Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni and Vikas Chhaparia, who are believed to be in Dubai police custody. The Enforcement Directorate filed five PMLA prosecution complaints against 116 accused in a special Raipur court, attaching assets worth nearly Rs 9,000 crore as proceeds of crime. Shubham Soni, who claimed to run the app and alleged he paid Rs 508 crore to ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel, made a confessional video that went viral before the November 2023 assembly polls. ED had previously arrested driver Asim Das and recovered Rs 5.39 crore from him, alleging he received the money from Soni.
Why it matters
The CBI's custody of Chandrakar and the probe into Dubai-based associates intensify scrutiny on political links between the betting app and Chhattisgarh's ruling establishment, potentially affecting the credibility of the state government ahead of future elections.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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