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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 18 immovable properties in Dubai, including apartments in Burj Khalifa, along with two properties in New Delhi, in connection with the Mahadev Online Book betting case. The agency said the assets, worth nearly Rs 1700 crore, were allegedly purchased using proceeds of crime generated through illegal online betting operations run by an international syndicate. According to the ED, the properties are linked to key promoter Sourabh Chandrakar and his associates as part of a wider probe into money laundering, hawala transfers and overseas investments tied to the betting network.

Dubai Assets Seized

The Enforcement Directorate said the attached foreign assets are located in prime areas of Dubai and include luxury villas and high-end apartments in Dubai Hills Estate, including Hills View, Fairway Residency and Sidra, along with several apartments in Business Bay and units in SLS Hotel & Residences.

Investigators stated that the properties belong to Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev Online Book betting application, and are held in the names of entities controlled by him and his associates, including Vikas Chhaparia, Rohit Gulati, Atul Arora, Nitin Tibrewal and Surendra Bagri.

The ED said the assets were acquired using proceeds generated from illegal betting operations conducted through online platforms linked to the Mahadev network.

Global Betting Syndicate

The probe began after multiple FIRs were registered by police authorities in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal under provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against persons linked to illegal betting platforms such as Mahadev Online Book and Skyexchange.

According to the agency, the syndicate operated as a large international betting network using domains including Tiger Exchange, Gold365 and Laser247. The system functioned through franchise-style panels run by operators across India, while the main promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, allegedly controlled the operations from Dubai.

The ED said the promoters retained nearly 70-75 per cent of the profits, with the remaining share distributed among panel operators.

Money Trail Under Scanner

Investigators found that the proceeds of crime were routed through thousands of mule bank accounts, hawala channels and cryptocurrency transactions before being invested in high-value assets in India and the UAE.

So far, searches have been conducted at more than 175 locations, 13 persons have been arrested and 74 accused named in prosecution complaints. Total attachment in the case has reached Rs 4,336 crore, and the agency said further action is under way to dismantle the illegal betting network.