Why Are Bollywood Actors Mostly At The Forefront Of Illegal Controversial Scandals – From Drug Charges To Havala? Decoding The Mahadev Book App Scandal And Bollywood’s Great Escape Each Time
The Mahadev Book App scandal has sent (not) shockwaves through the Indian entertainment industry, particularly Bollywood, revealing a dark underbelly of illegal betting networks and financial impropriety. The involvement of Bollywood celebrities in this elaborate scheme has raised critical questions about the industry's ethical standards and the extent to which stars are willing to go for monetary gain. However, is this the first time? Not from ED investigating the likes of great actors on drug charges to the latest scandal of Mahadev Book App, explore the questions surrounding the participation of Bollywood celebrities in this controversy and why they always go scot-free.
In recent times, the Indian entertainment industry, particularly Bollywood, has been plagued by a series of controversies, with prominent actors often finding themselves at the forefront of illicit activities.
The Mahadev Online Book Betting App is a prime example of this trend, an application that facilitates illegal betting on virtual games, poker, teen patti, and cricket; here we look into the shadowy world of the Mahadev app, its creators, and the curious involvement of Bollywood celebrities.
The Mahadev App: An Overview
The Mahadev Online Book Betting App is essentially a mobile application that operates on the fringes of legality, enabling users to place bets on virtual games.
To access this platform, users typically need a user ID and password, which are often in the hands of individuals associated with the app; these user IDs are sometimes sold at exorbitant prices, making it clear that there’s more than meets the eye in this operation.
Hence, the all-important question is, don’t the celebrities and their team of managers do their due diligence on what they are endorsing? Are they so innocent and naive?
These are the people who travel the world, have exotic holidays, have tons of brand endorsements and have exposure that is not available to ordinary people, yet they seem to get ‘trapped’, ‘fooled’ each time?
Coming back to the greatest of all apps, commencing operations in 2017, the app gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic, as lockdowns confined people to their homes. However, the virtual games hosted by the app were allegedly rigged to favour “panel owners” who managed multiple groups on messaging platforms.
The company reportedly raked in daily profits estimated at Rs 200 crore, although users initially saw profits before incurring substantial losses.
The Enormous Profits of the Mahadev Book App
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) dropped a bombshell by revealing that the promoters of the Mahadev Book app were raking in an astonishing Rs 450 crore per month.
This massive fortune was amassed through the illegal betting offerings provided by a multitude of online applications associated with the platform. The ED has estimated the total scam to be worth over Rs 5,000 crore, shedding light on the scale of this underground operation.
Even more surprising is that a substantial portion of these illicit earnings found its way into the Indian stock market through the Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) route; this unexpected twist accentuates the complexity and audacity of the scheme.
How the Mahadev App Caught Authorities’ Attention
The lavish wedding held in the United Arab Emirates in February 2023 was a pivotal moment that raised red flags. The entire expenditure for this opulent event, around Rs 200 crore, was paid entirely in cash.
Saurabh Chandrakar, one of the promoters of the Mahadev Online Book Betting app, spared no expense, hiring private jets to transport family members from Nagpur to the UAE and paying Indian film industry celebrities for performances; this extravagant display drew the attention of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Mahadev app initially came under scrutiny when the Superintendent of Police in Durg, Abhishek Pallav, arrested individuals linked to the betting app, leading to the filing of FIRs.
As the investigation expanded to other states, the names of the masterminds, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, came to light. These operators ingeniously used bank passbooks from those arrested to carry out financial transactions, unveiling a money laundering scheme where unsuspecting individuals were manipulated into opening bank accounts in their names.
Bollywood Celebrities and the Mahadev App
What further complicates this story is the involvement of Bollywood A-listers such as Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, (the same names keep doing the rounds) and others, who were summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning.
These stars reportedly received payments for endorsing the Mahadev app. The investigation also revealed extravagant spending, including the aforementioned wedding in the UAE, costing over Rs 200 crore; the ED seized substantial sums of money in searches connected to the Mahadev betting app case.
The Masterminds Behind the App
The brains behind the Mahadev app, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, had humble beginnings, initially operating a juice shop and a tire repair shop in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, respectively.
However, over time, their addiction to gambling prompted them to venture to Dubai with their life savings; there, they established the Mahadev Online Betting App with the assistance of a sheikh and a Pakistani national. The two masterminds and promoters of the app remain based in Dubai.
The Great Loot
The Enforcement Directorate’s raids on 39 locations linked to the Mahadev betting app resulted in the recovery of gold bars, jewellery, and cash amounting to ₹417 crore.
Luring In New Customers
The Mahadev Online Betting app was operated from Dubai by Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal.
To attract new customers, the company consistently created new websites and closed groups on chat apps, and paid advertisements on social media platforms were their way of enticing individuals to contact them via WhatsApp.
Once a potential customer made contact, a Mahadev customer care executive would guide them in creating a new User ID.
Users were provided two numbers – one for depositing money into their account and making bets and the other for contacting customer care and cashing out their accumulated earnings. These transactions were carried out through benami accounts that had been fraudulently opened.
All the bets and games hosted by Mahadev were rigged to ensure the company wouldn’t incur losses; although initially, users made profits, but over time, they invariably ended up facing significant losses.
Network of Call Centers
The Mahadev app was not just known for its illegal bank accounts but also for its widespread call centers, which operated across Malaysia, Thailand, India, and the UAE. These call centers were busy around the clock, creating subsidiary apps and websites and interacting with customers.
The Enforcement Directorate’s probe unveiled transactions worth thousands of crores on a daily basis; the company was allegedly making a profit of ₹200 crore per day, according to the agency’s claims.
Nexus of Police, Bureaucrats, and Politicians
The investigation exposed the Mahadev Online Book App as a centrally run operation headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. It franchised “Panel/Branches” to known associates on a 70-30 profit-sharing ratio. Large-scale hawala operations were used to transfer the betting proceeds to offshore accounts.
The Mahadev app had established about 30 call centers in major Indian cities, overseen by Anil Dammani and Sunil Dammani, close associates of Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal.
The Almighty Bollywood Connection
Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, Hina Khan, and several other actors were questioned by the Enforcement Directorate due to their participation in the Dubai wedding in February.
They were allegedly paid through hawala transactions; it was revealed that 17 Bollywood celebrities were brought to Dubai on a chartered plane to perform at the wedding, receiving substantial payments via hawala channels. Additionally, Ranbir Kapoor was also accused of promoting one of the apps operated by the syndicate.
Allegations of a Connection with Dawood Ibrahim
Siddhartha Nath Singh, BJP’s election media in charge and MLA from Uttar Pradesh, alleged a link between the Mahadev betting application and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Singh questioned why the Chhattisgarh government had not banned the betting app, speculating that the Congress was receiving significant funds from Dubai; he claimed that the money was rerouted through Dawood’s younger brother and Saurabh Chandrakar, a native of Bhilai.
The Chase of the Main Accused
The prime accused, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, have been consistently summoned by the ED, but they have defied these summons and evaded the investigation.
In response to their elusiveness, the ED filed an application before the Special Court (PMLA), Raipur, requesting open-ended non-bailable warrants against them; the court duly issued these warrants, signifying the gravity of the case.
To further bring the accused to justice, the ED sought a Red Corner Notice against Chandrakar and Uppal. This international arrest warrant, issued by Interpol, is often employed in cases involving fugitives who have fled to foreign countries.
However, it remains to be seen if any treaty or mechanism exists to extradite these accused individuals from their current location.
The Modus Operandi of Mahadev Book
The ED’s investigation has unveiled the intricate workings of Mahadev Book.
The primary promoters of these applications are believed to be located abroad, initially in the UAE and now suspected to be moving through Sri Lanka, Australia, London, and Caribbean countries; they operated a network of around 1,000 WhatsApp users in UAE-based call centers, with a significant portion of the employees hailing from Chhattisgarh.
Mahadev Book adopted a franchise-type model, outsourcing the panel operation in a 70-30% profit-sharing ratio. The panel operator was responsible for handling receipts and payments, as well as managing userIDs and transferring the share owed to Mahadev’s head office through hawala channels.
The illicit proceeds from illegal betting were traced to be remitted abroad by professional international hawala operators based in Mumbai and Gujarat, creating a complex trail of funds.
The funds were either routed outside India using fraudulent Bills of Import or withdrawn in cash; this system allowed the owners of Mahadev Book to receive their illegal earnings abroad, which were then invested across the globe.
The scale of the operation is staggering, with an estimated 30-40 lakh earned per panel per month and the number of active panels was reported to be over 2,000 at present.
The chargesheet highlights the scope of funds funneled through bank accounts acquired through fraudulent means by the promoters and panel operators involved in Mahadev Online Book operations.
A Global Network of Illegal Betting
The Mahadev Book scandal not only sheds light on the lucrative business of illegal betting but also on the international dimensions of this operation.
With vast earnings being stashed in foreign stock markets and intricate financial transactions, it is clear that this underground network extended its reach across the globe.
As the investigation continues, the authorities are faced with the formidable task of apprehending the accused individuals who have evaded justice and have even acquired foreign citizenship to escape the long arm of the law.
The Last Bit,
The Mahadev Book App scandal is a perfect example of the complexity of illegal betting networks and the lengths to which individuals will go to amass staggering wealth.
The questions surrounding Bollywood celebrities’ involvement in this case continue to intrigue the public; as the investigation unfolds, the entertainment industry, law enforcement agencies, and society as a whole must confront these issues.
Have these so-called stars fallen prey to the allure of easy money, or were they unwittingly drawn into a web of deceit?
However, time and time again, Bollywood makes headlines when it comes to such illicit activities; it is time that the answers to these questions are sought in a just manner; for now, it is safe to say that the public perception of these so-called icons is at the lowest in history!
