From Bhilai juice shop owner to alleged mastermind of Mahadev Betting App- The journey of Sourabh Chandrakar
Sourabh Chandrakar a juice wala once drawing a basic salary of ₹15,000 a month is now the key operators of famous betting app. Famous online betting app Mahadev- from which the ED alleges generated proceeds worth tens of thousands of crores. However, the allegations against Chandrakar remain subject to judicial proceedings, and he has not been convicted.
A Modest Family From Bhilai
Chandrakar grew up in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, in a modest family. His father, a former clerk at the Bhilai Municipal Corporation, took voluntary retirement, while his mother is a homemaker.
The family’s known business was Juice Factory, a shop in Bhilai operated through Orbique Foods Pvt. Ltd. His elder brother, Gitesh, reportedly owned 51 per cent of the company, while Saurabh worked there on a salary of around Rs 15,000 per month.
How Did Mahadev Betting App Begin?
According to the ED, Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, both businessmen from Bhilai, developed the Mahadev Online Book platform in 2018.
Investigators have reportedly found that Uppal was a regular visitor to Chandrakar’s juice shop. Chandrakar was allegedly operating betting activities on a limited scale until December 2020. However, investigators have not publicly established the complete circumstances surrounding how the two first met.
The Move To Dubai
Chandrakar reportedly left India on February 16, 2022, and has not returned since. The ED alleges that he subsequently managed the betting syndicate’s operations from its Dubai headquarters.
In May 2022, he reportedly obtained a Vanuatu passport while continuing to hold an Indian passport.
According to investigators, more than 3,200 betting panels were operating across India and the UAE as part of the alleged betting network.
The Lavish Wedding That Drew Investigators’ Attention
Chandrakar’s extravagant wedding to Harshita in February 2023 attracted considerable attention during the investigation.
The ED’s chargesheet reportedly describes the event as the “Raj Wedding”. The celebrations were held at the Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah between February 10 and 14, 2023.
Guests were flown in from Nagpur on three chartered aircraft. The ED estimates that approximately Rs 200 crore was spent in cash on the celebrations.
The investigation into the wedding expenses reportedly led investigators to alleged hawala transactions and connections extending across the UAE and Pakistan.
Arrest In Oman And Return To India
After tracing Chandrakar to Oman, authorities detained him following an Interpol Red Corner Notice.
He was arrested on July 8, 2026, and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team brought him back to India from Muscat on November 1, 2026.
Chandrakar is wanted in two CBI cases, in which chargesheets have been filed, and one ED case. However, his lawyer has questioned the legality of the CBI’s action, arguing that Oman’s approval for extradition was limited to the ED case.
He is expected to be produced before a special CBI court in Raipur. Meanwhile, investigators are also pursuing the return of his alleged business partner, Ravi Uppal, from the UAE.