CBI raids Mahadev app panel operators at 33 locations in six states after Sourabh Chandrakar disclosures
The agency says devices and documents pointing to mule accounts and a hawala network were seized, and it is still tracing other accused, including some abroad.
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CBI raids Mahadev app panel operators at 33 locations across six states, the agency said on Saturday 14 November, according to ETV Bharat. The searches were conducted over the past few days and followed disclosures by Sourabh Chandrakar, a key accused and principal promoter of the platform, after his extradition from Oman.
CBI raids Mahadev app: what was seized
The CBI said the searches targeted premises linked to panel operators of the Mahadev Online Book App. “During these searches, live betting and gambling panels were found running and were dismantled,” the agency said, per ETV Bharat. Investigators also recovered and seized digital devices, mobile phones and documents showing the use of mule accounts and a hawala network, according to IANS via TenNews.
Key numbers
- 33: locations searched across six states, per ETV Bharat.
- Two: FIRs registered by the agency after the Chhattisgarh government transferred the case, per IANS via TenNews.
- 1 November: the date Chandrakar was arrested by the agency, per ETV Bharat.
- 19 November: the date until which Chandrakar is in judicial custody, per The News Mill.
Sourabh Chandrakar and the custody timeline
Chandrakar was extradited from Oman and arrested by the agency on 1 November, ETV Bharat said. After his police custody ended, he was produced before the Special Judge (CBI Cases) in Raipur on 12 November and remanded to judicial custody until 19 November 2026, The News Mill reported. Two FIRs were registered in the Mahadev Online Book case after the Chhattisgarh government handed the investigation to the central agency. Chandrakar is an accused, and the allegations have not been proved in court.
Warning on mule accounts and SIM cards
The agency also cautioned the public about lending identity details. “Lending or renting one’s bank account, SIM card or identity documents to others for such activity is also a criminal offence and exposes the account holder to prosecution,” it said. The reports did not name the six states where the searches took place.
What happens next in the Mahadev app case
Officials said the investigation continues to establish the role of other accused persons, including those operating from abroad, people who helped run the platform and public servants allegedly connected with the case, IANS reported. More national coverage is on our India page, and another CBI-linked court order is covered in our report on the Urmila Sanawar narco test.
The searches show the CBI moving from the promoter's custody to the operators who ran live betting panels, and the agency's warning that lending bank accounts or SIM cards is an offence affects ordinary account holders. The next steps will show who else is charged, including people abroad and public servants.