The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday claimed to have swooped down on Abhishek Kumar, one of the alleged kingpins and a wanted criminal in the Mahadev Online Betting App case, shortly after he landed in Hyderabad from Dubai, the agency said.
The agency made the arrest from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad as part of the ongoing probe into the alleged illegal online betting and gambling network operated under Mahadev Book. As per the CBI, Kumar played a key role in operating the betting operations, coordinating betting panels and collecting funds generated through the alleged illegal activities. The CBI sleuths also alleged that he used proceeds from the operations to acquire immovable assets in Dubai.
If the agency is to be believed, incriminating material was seized from Kumar’s possession during a search conducted immediately after his arrest. The CBI said the material prima facie indicates his alleged involvement in the functioning of the Mahadev Betting App network.
Alleged links to key accused
CBI’s probe has also blown the lid off the fact that Kumar worked closely with other key accused in the case, including Saurabh Chandrakar and Shubham Soni, it said. Post-arrest, Kumar was produced before a local court in Hyderabad, which granted the agency three days’ transit remand. He was then taken to Raipur and was produced before a court there, which granted two days of police custody remand.
The developments surface as the CBI continues to probe the extent of the alleged betting network and trace the movement of the funds generated by means of the operations.
8 chargesheets filed against 100 accused
Earlier, the Chhattisgarh government had transferred 13 FIRs registered at different police stations in the state in connection with the Mahadev Betting App case to the CBI. The central agency subsequently assumed charge of the investigation.
So far, the CBI has filed eight chargesheets against 100 accused, the agency said. The ones chargesheeted include the alleged main promoters of the Mahadev Betting App, panel operators, hawala operators and public servants of the Chhattisgarh government.
The probe into the high-scale betting syndicate is still underway, and the agency is persevering in efforts to trace other accused who are on the lam.
Efforts on to bring main promoters back
In a parallel development, the CBI has also initiated steps to bring the alleged main promoters of the Mahadev Betting App back to India to face trial. As per the agency, seven Red Corner Notices and two extradition proposals have so far been issued in connection with the case. Extradition proceedings against two accused people are currently in progress.
The CBI said its key focus remains on identifying the people allegedly involved in the betting operations, tracing the proceeds of the crime and pursuing legal recourse against the accused.