 "Mahadev betting case: What is it and why Ranbir Kapoor has been summoned?")
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent summons to Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor in connection with the so-called Mahadev online betting case. The actor has been asked to appear before the ED on October 6 for his alleged involvement in promoting an illegal online betting and gaming platform.
Here are all the details of the case known so far.
What is the Mahadev betting scandal?
The ED's investigation has unearthed a vast network operated by Mahadev Online Book, providing illegal betting opportunities in various live games, including poker, card games, cricket, badminton and tennis, and even allowing bets on Indian elections. The platform also offers card games like "Teen Patti", poker, "Dragon Tiger", and virtual cricket games, among others.
The operations involved maintaining websites, closed groups on chat apps, and advertising contact numbers to lure people into illegal betting. The ED investigation has revealed the involvement of individuals and government officials, and some arrests have been made in connection to the case.
Mahadev betting masterminds
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Sourabh Chandrakar, 28, and Ravi Uppal, 43 — both originally from Chhattisgarh but based in Dubai for nearly two years — are said to be at the heart of this operation. According to media reports, the duo has been suspected of amassing around Rs 5,000 crore through the illegal betting app. The ED's investigation has revealed that operations also involved rigging of games to ensure profits for panel owners and heavy losses for players.
Arrests so far
A crackdown by Chhattisgarh Police, which began in 2021, led to multiple FIRs, arrests, and seizure of assets, before the ED began its investigation.
Earlier in August, the ED arrested four individuals — businessmen brothers Sunil and Anil Dammani, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Chandra Bhushan Verma, and Satish Chandrakar — from Raipur, Chhattisgarh. These individuals allegedly facilitated illegal fund movements through hawala networks and protected the racket from police action.
ASI Verma is suspected to have played a significant role in shielding the main accused from authorities using his position in the department. He allegedly collected a bribe of Rs 65 crore and passed on portions of it to high-ranking officials connected to the Chief Minister's Office in Chhattisgarh.
An ED press note read, "ASI Verma has admitted that the bribe payments were enhanced after some action was done by Police in May 2022. The bribes were enhanced to water down the cases, to include non-bailable offences, and to restrict prosecution up to local punters and to prevent future action on their operations. Further, arrested accused have specifically named high ranking officials connected to CMO who have received hefty kickbacks on a monthly/regular basis."
Vinod Verma, a relative of ASI Verma's and a political advisor to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was named by the accused. However, Verma denied any involvement in the case and stated in a press conference on Thursday that he was not related to the accused.
The Dammani brothers, who own a jewellery shop, Abhushan Jewelers, and a petrol pump, allegedly facilitated large-scale hawala transactions and earned commissions of Rs 100 per lakh that they moved.
Satish Chandrakar, in collaboration with ASI Verma, managed to evade police raids by running a branch of the app for his personal benefit.
Since the Chhattisgarh Police began its investigation, 75 FIRs have been registered, and 429 accused have been arrested from across India.
Seizure of luxury goods and bank accounts
The police have seized 191 laptops, 858 smartphones, betting-related materials, and luxury cars worth about Rs 2.50 crore, according to a report by The Indian Express. The investigation revealed the use of over 3,033 bank accounts in this racket, with around 1,035 bank accounts frozen. The total amount deposited in these accounts is estimated to be about Rs 15.50 crore.
FIRs have also been registered in other states, such as Andhra Pradesh, against app operators.
According to an NDTV report, the Mahadev betting app's network extends beyond India to the UAE, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. The ED has frozen and seized assets worth Rs 417 crore in connection with the case.
How is Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor involved?
Ranbir Kapoor is alleged to have served as a social media influencer for the online betting platform and reportedly received payments for conducting promotional activities for the app. The ED reportedly started looking into Kapoor when he attended Sourabh Chandrakar's Rs 200 crore wedding in the UAE back in February of this year.
News18 quoted sources within the ED as saying that as many as 16 other Bollywood celebrities were also under investigation for attending or performing at Mahadev app co-owner Sourabh Chandrakar's wedding in February this year and the company's success party in September last year.
Another report by NDTV on Thursday stated that actors Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi, Hina Khan, and Shraddha Kapoor have also been asked to appear before the ED in connection with the Mahadev app case. These actors are not accused but have been asked to make statements regarding the case.