Raipur Court Grants CBI 8 Days for Mahadev App Probing
Eight days of CBI custody has been granted to Saurabh Chandraakar, the main accused in the colossal Mahadev online betting scandal. The Raipur special court approved the remand petition on Wednesday, paving the way for a Delhi-based interrogation session. He will return to the courtroom on November 12. The hearing also witnessed the presence of ED representatives, who had independently sought detention for the suspect. Chandraakar’s counsel, Tushar Giri, formally rejected the custody request, calling it unwarranted. Judicial officials maintained a tight security perimeter around the courthouse.
The apprehension of the accused follows a prolonged international manhunt. After going missing in Dubai in 2023, an Interpol alert was triggered. Omani forces detained him on July 8, and he was finally extradited to India on November 1, completing a 116-day ordeal. A Delhi court had initially provided two days of transit custody before his handover to Raipur. Legal representatives for the accused have contested the CBI’s current jurisdiction over the matter, asserting that the Omani court’s extradition mandate only covered ED-related financial charges, not the broader criminal case.
The state’s political leadership has reacted sharply to the developments. Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai confirmed the arrest and stated that the CBI’s line of questioning will likely expose other major players. He also issued a sharp rebuke to the Congress party, claiming its past actions weakened democratic norms while it now campaigns on similar platforms. State Congress president Deepak Baij countered that the focus should remain on pursuing remaining fugitives like Ravi Uppal and Shubham Soni. He noted Soni’s direct involvement in circulating app promotions during the 2023 election campaign and revealed that the previous Congress regime had initiated over 72 cases, leading to multiple seizures and detentions.
According to investigation files, Chandraakar and his collaborators engineered the betting software, expanded its user base, and laundered earnings through multiple accounts into UAE financial institutions. The state government has officially transferred 13 FIRs to the CBI, with two charge sheets already submitted. The ED is independently tracking illicit financial flows and has registered a formal case against the accused. Authorities continue to map the digital and monetary pathways that sustained the alleged Rs 6,000 crore operation.