Mahadev betting app case: ED arrests EBIX Chairman Vikas Garg

In a major update in the Mahadev betting app case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested EBIX Chairman Vikas Garg. Previously, the central agency seized assets worth ₹941 crore linked to Garg. 

According to a press release by the agency's Raipur Zonal Office, the assets were attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The seized assets include residential properties, land parcels, equity shares, and various other securities.

The cases involve allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery. Meanwhile, the Mahadev betting app scam's prime accused, Saurabh Chandrakar, has been traced in Oman and the Indian authorities have begun the process to extradite him.

Chandrakar was the promoter of the Mahadev betting app and is accused in the ₹6,000-crore scam. He was detained by the Royal Oman Police a few weeks ago based on an Interpol Red Notice issued against him by the Enforcement Directorate and Chhattisgarh Police. 

ED has attached assets worth ₹1,700 crore in connection with the case against him. The assets included luxury villas and high-end apartments in some of Dubai's most premium locations, including in the Burj Khalifa. 

In 2023, Saurabh Chandrakar's ₹200-crore wedding in Dubai made headlines as his family members arrived in private jets and the guest list included Bollywood celebrities. 

According to the ED, the Mahadev app functioned as an extensive international betting network that allegedly enabled illegal gambling through several online platforms and domain names, including Tiger Exchange, Gold365 and Laser247.

Investigators said the syndicate operated on a franchise model, with a network of "panels" and "branches" managed by associates across India, while its alleged masterminds, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, directed and controlled the operation from Dubai.

So far, the ED has arrested 13 individuals in connection with the case. The agency has also named 74 entities as accused across five charge sheets submitted before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.