CBI Files Charge Sheets Against 72 Accused in Mumbai Mahadev App Betting Case
On July 9, 2026, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai filed six charge sheets against 72 accused individuals in connection with the Mahadev App corruption and illegal betting cases. The central agency also submitted additional evidence against the app's key promoters, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, to bolster India's legal case and ongoing extradition efforts.
In the corruption case, the CBI charge-sheeted six individuals: Ashim Das, Rohit Gulati, Vikas Chhaparia, Anil Dhammani, Vishal Ahuja, and Dheeraj Ahuja. They are charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code provisions for cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The agency alleges that these individuals conspired to route bribe payments to public servants in exchange for protecting the illegal betting network. Das allegedly operated as a cash courier, while the other five facilitated the financial transactions.
Alongside the corruption case, the CBI filed five separate charge sheets against 66 individuals in a linked illegal betting syndicate case. This group includes the primary promoters, Chandrakar and Uppal, alongside members of various betting panels. These accused face charges under the IPC and the Chhattisgarh Gambling Prohibition Act.
According to the CBI, the Mahadev App functioned as one of India's largest illegal online betting networks, managed from outside the country. The syndicate operated illegal panels across India, gathered user funds, and laundered the profits through a network of mule accounts before moving the money abroad. A portion of these proceeds was allegedly used to pay off public servants to shield the operation from law enforcement.
Indian officials stated that the newly filed charge sheets are critical to the extradition request for Chandrakar, who was recently arrested in Oman for allegedly using a forged Indonesian passport. Because passport forgery is a serious national security offence in Oman carrying a three-to-five-year prison sentence, Omani authorities are expected to prosecute that crime locally before addressing India's extradition request.
The CBI and the Ministry of External Affairs are currently exploring legal avenues under the India-Oman Extradition Treaty of 2005, including the possibility of seeking Chandrakar's temporary surrender or deportation.
