Mumbai: Handler, enforcer, greaser, money-mover; meet all behind-the-screen movers of the Mahadev betting app scandal

The charge sheet filed recently by the Enforcement Directorate ED in connection with the Mahadev app betting case has detailed the roles of the accused in operating the betting world both in India and abroad The charge sheet sheds light on Sourabh Chandrakarrsquos management from Dubai and the other individuals involved in the betting app scam who were playing their roles seamlessly before the EDrsquos intervention The Enforcement Directorate ED charge sheet has named 14 accused in the Mahadev betting app case each having a designated role with 9 listed as wantedSourabh ChandrakarSaurabh Chandrakar the alleged kingpinAs per the ED Chandrakar is the kingpin and promoter of the app benefiting the most from the ongoing Rs 6000 crore scam The ED alleges that he has established a vast betting empire through extensive call centres utilising closed groups on WhatsApp and Telegram with the use of benami bank accounts for money transactions His network allows him to operate from Dubai without needing to be physically present in India primarily employing people from his home state of Chhattisgarh He is also responsible for launching 60 offshore apps using servers based in Switzerland and call centres in Nepal Sri Lanka and the UAE He had employed thousands of people along with multiple secretariesRavi UppalMahadev app promoter Ravi Uppalrsquos Vanuatu passportUppal listed as accused number two is regarded as Chandrakarrsquos righthand man and coowner of the illegal Mahadev betting app He oversees operations both in India and abroad and has acquired assets in foreign countries Uppal is the primary liaison with bureaucrats and politicians in Chhattisgarh facilitating payments to ensure that no actions are taken against the app and its illicit activities The ED suspects that he has invested in properties across UAE London Sri Lanka and AustraliaAlso read Mumbai Fires in highrises claimed 16 lives in past 4 monthsVikas ChapariaVikas Chaparia Event handler Anil Kumar and Sunil Kumar Damani Hawala brothersChaparia maintains a strong bond with both Chandrakar and Uppal He was a part of Chandrakarrsquos illustrious R200 crore wedding guest list as a friend handling payments for the Mahadev Online Book app and organising extravagant events in Dubai Chaparia previously a smalltime share broker from Kolkata has now heavily invested in the Indian stock market on behalf of Chandrakar and Uppal The ED has frozen his current holdings in the market amounting to around R236 crore Like Chandrakar and Uppal he has also acquired citizenship in Vanuatu an Oceania country and has been seen frequently with the apprsquos promoters He is also abscondingChandrabhushan VermaAn assistant subinspector with Chhattisgarh Police Verma according to the ED played a crucial role in ensuring the safety and protection of the apprsquos promoters from police and politicians in Chhattisgarh where the betting business initially flourished He acted as the primary link between Chandrakar and the state of Chhattisgarh ensuring smooth operations and a significant share of profits which were routed through hawala from Dubai Verma distributed these profits among senior police officers and politicians facilitating the Mahadev apprsquos rise to the top of the betting world The ED discovered his close ties with Vinod Verma political advisor to the Chhattisgarh CM and noted that with the financial power from Dubai he managed to corrupt the entire police system in Raipur and Drug district Chhattisgarh Additionally the ED found evidence of Verma purchasing multiple properties in the name of his family members since 2020Satish ChandrakarHe was in constant touch with Ravi Uppal in Dubai to discuss the daily operations of the betting apps He also owns four panels of the Mahadev betting app and allows others to handle the same and share 5 per cent of the total profit from these panels The ED also found that on behalf of Chandrabhushan Verma he would deliver money to bureaucrats and politicians to ensure no action was taken against the betting appsAnil and Sunil DamaniThe Damani brothers played a crucial role in facilitating the largescale movement of funds through hawala transactions The hawala money sent from Dubai by Uppal and Chandrakar would be received by the Damani brothers who then passed it on to police agents and other recipients Charging a fee of R100 per lakh they are suspected to have facilitated the transfer of approximately R5560 crore in hawala money for the Mahadev app promotersVishal and Dheeraj AhujaAs per the ED the Ahuja brothers are responsible for managing the ticketing operations of the Mahadev app promoters their families business associates and even the celebrities endorsing betting websites such as FairPlaycom and the Reddy Anna app They were responsible for arranging travel for numerous events including the annual starstudded event organised in the UAE in September this year The ED also uncovered that the Ahuja brothers owned nine panels of FairPlay and Reddy Anna app utilising various bogus bank accounts for transactions related to ticket bookings Currently both brothers are absconding and suspected to be residing in DubaiPawan NathaniAccording to the ED he is a close associate of the Ahuja brothers and was involved in providing details of bogus bank accounts to them which were then used for transactions involving the betting amounts of the Mahadev appYashodha VermaShe is the motherinlaw of accused ASI Chandrabhushan Verma who set up a firm called Aditya Trading Company in her name During the investigation it was revealed that the firm was purportedly involved in the trade of grain and rice receiving substantial funds from rice millers for the sale of grains Subsequently it was discovered that these transactions were bogus and the funds received in the companyrsquos account were identified as proceeds of crime in the Mahadev app casePunaram Shivkumar VermaAccording to the ED Punaram the father of Chandrabhushan and Shivkumar his fatherinlaw are partners in Shrijan Associated and were receiving proceeds of crime disguised as genuine trade paymentsSuspects who are currently in Dubai and who are yet to be interrogatedGitesh Chandrakar The brother of Sourabh Chandrakar he oversees the operations of Mahadev Online Book along with himAtul Agarwal A partner in Mahadev Book who owns approximately 10 per cent of the businessRaja Gupta Responsible for managing the distribution of the betting panelrsquos booking IDsNitish Dhawan Closely associated with Sourabh Chandrakar entrusted with task of hiring Bollywood celebrities for various events related to Mahadev bookRohit Gulati Coordinates with Indian panel operators and manages movement of funds through Hawala channelsAmit Shah Handles accounting for Mahadev Book and oversees the investment of the proceeds of crime60Approx no of offshore apps launched by Chandrakar