The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on November 1 that it had secured the extradition from Oman of Saurabh Chandrakar, founder of Mahadev Online Book, whom the agency describes as the main organizer of the illegal Mahadev Online Book online betting syndicate. CBI officers flew to Muscat and brought him to India.
Oman's Royal Police Force detained Chandrakar on an Interpol red notice. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) then sent formal extradition requests to Oman, supported by evidence.
Chandrakar is named in two CBI cases, in which charge sheets have already been filed, and in an ED case, in which a complaint for prosecution has been submitted. The charges rely on the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988, the Indian Penal Code (conspiracy, fraud, forgery) and the Chhattisgarh Public Gambling Act.
According to the CBI, Mahadev Online Book was one of the largest illegal online betting syndicates in the country and was run from outside India. Bets were taken on cricket, football and card games through a network of franchises that the agency calls "panels" and "branches". The CBI says the money was routed through dummy bank accounts and transferred abroad via hawala channels.
Reports on the case cite a sum of 6,000 crore rupees, or about $633 million at the exchange rate of 94.8 rupees to the dollar on November 4. The case concerns illegal bookmaking, not the licensed market, and legally operating companies are not mentioned in it.
The next step is hearing the case in Raipur, where Chandrakar was to be brought to appear before a CBI special judge.
