India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) has found that the promoters of the Mahadev online betting app had links to D-company, the crime syndicate founded and controlled by Dawood Ibrahim, and were in touch with Ibrahim's brother to build a similar betting platform for Pakistan, according to Times Now1. The report, published on October 13, 2023, said the ED is likely to frame terror-related charges against promoter Sourabh Chandrakar based on those leads1.
The report said Dawood Ibrahim's brother, Mustaqeem Ali Kaskar, contacted Chandrakar after the Mahadev app's success and asked him to build a similar platform for Pakistan that would deal in Pakistan currency1. Mustaqeem also provided around 30 bodyguards to Chandrakar during his Dubai visit, according to the report1.
"The promoters, the ED said, were in touch with Dawood Ibrahim's brother to create a similar betting platform for Pakistan."
The report said money in the racket was laundered through at least 500 hawala operators and around 70 shell companies to Middle Eastern countries, including Dubai1. The promoters were said to be laundering money to those countries while operating from Pakistan and spreading their business in Thailand, all through the same network of hawala operators and shell companies1.
The Mahadev app was developed by four young individuals from Madhya Pradesh and slowly took over at least 10 betting apps running illegally across India, the report said1. Apps that came under the Mahadev empire included Lotus 365 and ReddyAnna, according to the report1. It added that a number of influential and powerful people, including senior politicians, bureaucrats, celebrities and businessmen, were involved1.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Hawala operators used to launder money | At least 5001 |
| Shell companies used | Around 701 |
| Bodyguards provided to Chandrakar in Dubai | Around 301 |
| Betting apps taken over | At least 101 |
What it means for players
The report describes an app that grew by absorbing other illegal betting platforms, which means players who used apps such as Lotus 365 or ReddyAnna may have been betting on a product that investigators now link to the same operation1. The ED's findings concern the people who ran the platform and moved its money, not the individual bets placed on it, and the report does not say anything about the position of ordinary users1. It has not been reported whether players on these apps face any action, or what happens to funds held in accounts on them. Anyone assessing an unfamiliar betting site can read our guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia, which covers fake sites, rigged games and how to report problems. For the legal position on betting in the country where this case is being pursued, see Can I gamble in India?. The report also says the business was being spread in Thailand, where gambling rules are restrictive; our guide to gambling in Thailand sets out the current position.
What happens next
The report says the ED is likely to frame terror-related charges against Sourabh Chandrakar, citing sources1. No date for that step, and no confirmation that charges have been filed, has been reported1.
