Gujarat Police Arrests Key Associate In Mahadev Betting App Empire

In a major breakthrough, the Gujarat Police have arrested Bharat Chaudhary, a close associate of the infamous bookie Saurabh Chandrakar, the mastermind behind the Mahadev betting app empire. Chaudhary was apprehended in Patan, a burgeoning hub for illicit betting activities, following a raid conducted by the Border Range Cyber Cell team. 

Chaudhary, who had been evading capture for a considerable time, was held upon his arrival from Dubai to his home in Patan. He was presented in court, where police secured his remand until August 1. His arrest marks a pivotal development in the ongoing crackdown on the Mahadev betting network, which has been under intense scrutiny by Law enforcement agencies. 

A forensic examination of Chaudhary's mobile phone uncovered extensive evidence linking him to Saurabh Chandrakar and Atul Agarwal. Investigators found records indicating the Mahadev app's staggering annual turnover of ₹5213.65 crores, detailed in WhatsApp group communications. Police are scrutinising the bank account and Hawala data data.

During interrogation, Chaudhary divulged the names of other partners involved in betting. His phone also contained photos of passports belonging to key figures such as Saurabh Chandrakar, Dilip Prajapati and Ronak Prajapati from patan, Ravikumar Singh -from Dhanbad, Jharkhand all currently based in Dubai and deeply entrenched in the betting business. The Gujarat police have also booked Saurabh Chandrakar along with Chaudhary and others in this case.

According to Chaudhary, he is working with Atul Agrawal, a close associate of Saurabh Chandrakar, for Mahadev and other subsidiary apps. Absconding accused Anil Agrawal, also known as Atul Agrawal, is allegedly a 10 percent partner in the Mahadev Book app and oversees all the betting IDs of Saurabh Chandrakar.

According to Enforcement Directorate prosecution complaint (PC), Atul Agrawal utilised betting proceeds to stock market and for purchasing assets in India and Dubai on behalf of kingpin Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal.

Officials have stated that Chaudhary played a crucial role in facilitating various aspects of the betting operations, including handling financial transactions and managing resources. His involvement was instrumental in the logistics and operational execution of the betting enterprise. 

Inspector General of Police, Border Range Bhuj, Chirag Koradia, revealed that intelligence was received about Bharat Mumji Chaudhary's presence in Patan following his return from Dubai. He was located at Yash Society in Patan City and was seen departing in an MG Hector car with registration number GJ 01 WL 3588. The Border Range's cyber crime team of Bhuj, acting on this tip-off, moved swiftly to apprehend him. 

IGP Chirag Koradia said, "Chaudhary was pivotal in developing the Mahadev app’s website and overseeing its extensive Hawala network.and was handling the current Canada premier league betting and accounts.His capture is a significant stride in dismantling the betting syndicate. We have found information about different people operating various betting apps and we are driving our investigation on that route. We have constituted a special investigation team (SIT) with cyber crime PI and other officers to investigate the matter.

According to the officials Chaudhari had planned  to revoke his Indian citizenship,He  applied for Saint Lucia citizenship and was planning attempt to move beyond the reach of India’s law.