Mahadev Betting App Founder Sourabh Chandrakar Detained in Oman

Accused Saurabh Chandrakar

NEW DELHI: The founder and prime accused in the Mahadev betting app syndicate, who has been on the run, has been detained in Oman, and India is trying to get him extradited or deported, officials said Wednesday. Sourabh Chandrakar, a Chhattisgarh resident in his 30s, was detained by Royal Oman Police a few weeks ago based on an Interpol Red Notice issued by ED and state police. ED had previously stated that the Mahadev case involves various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh and the alleged proceeds of the crime stand at Rs 6,000 crore. Investigators, who have been on his trail as well as app co-founder Ravi Uppal's, said informal inputs suggested Chandrakar was travelling on a passport from a southeast Asian country. Indian agencies last stated that Chandrakar's location was Dubai, where UAE authorities had detained him in 2024, but he was subsequently released. They claimed Uppal fled from Dubai to Vanuatu, an archipelagic country in South Pacific Ocean. India and Oman share a good bilateral relationship and officials expressed confidence that they would succeed in extraditing or deporting Chandrakar. Authorities pointed to the recent implementation of a free trade agreement between the two countries on June 1 to boost economic ties. The two-way trade between India and Oman stood at $11.2 billion in 2025-26. Chandrakar reportedly left for Dubai in 2019. Before that, he used to run a juice shop named 'Juice Factory' with his brother in Bhilai town of Durg district. Chandrakar and Uppal had vehemently denied any association with the alleged racket. In March, ED said it had attached assets worth Rs 1,700 crore, majorly located in Dubai - including in Burj Khalifa - belonging to Chandrakar and his linked entities. According to the agency, the Mahadev app operated as a large-scale international betting syndicate that facilitated illegal betting through multiple online platforms and domain names such as 'Tiger Exchange', 'Gold365' and 'Laser247'. The operation was structured through a franchise-based network of 'panels' and 'branches' operated by associates across India.