Online Gambling: The Rise of Mahadev Book: A Timeline of Operations
Vivek Agrawal
Mumbai, October 5, 2023
According to police sources, Mahadev Book commenced its operations in 2017. However, its user base witnessed significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, continuing to expand until 2022.
The Men Behind Mahadev Book
The two individuals at the center of this operation have been residing in Dubai for nearly two years. Before that, they were frequent travelers to the Emirate.
While Ravi Uppal is reported to hold an engineering degree, there is limited information available regarding the qualifications of Sourabh Chandrakar.
Sources within the Chhattisgarh police informed The Indian Express that a lookout notice had been issued against them approximately three months ago.
The Arrested Four and Alleged Government Official Involvement
The four individuals arrested in connection with this case are businessmen brothers Sunil and Anil Dammani, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Chandra Bhushan Verma, and Satish Chandrakar. All four accused hail from Raipur.
ED sources reveal that ASI Verma, a lower-ranking police officer in Chhattisgarh Police, played a pivotal role in shielding the main accused in this case from law enforcement authorities.
In exchange for this protection, Verma allegedly received a substantial bribe amounting to Rs 65 crore. Out of this sum, Rs 55 lakhs was purportedly disbursed each month to additional superintendents of police in the Raipur and Durg districts, while Rs 75 lakhs was reportedly sent monthly to several senior IPS officers stationed in Durg, Raipur, and the intelligence wings of Chhattisgarh during the years 2022 and 2023.
ASI Verma, according to ED sources, served as the primary intermediary between the main promoters based in Dubai and influential figures within the Chhattisgarh government, ensuring the seamless operation of the betting app.
He allegedly received substantial monthly bribes from the app’s promoters and, in turn, provided Uppal with access to certain high-ranking government officials.
This access was purportedly facilitated through his relative, Vinod Verma, who serves as a political advisor to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Vinod Verma, in a press conference, vehemently denied any familial relation to ASI Verma and asserted his innocence.
He characterized the ED raids on his residence as “dacoity” and dismissed the allegations as “fiction based on a defamatory and baseless news article.” Verma also announced his intention to take legal action against the magazine for defamation.
However, an ED press release contradicted Verma’s claims, stating, “ASI Verma has admitted that the bribe payments were enhanced after some action was taken by the police in May 2022. The bribes were increased to dilute the cases, include non-bailable offenses, and restrict prosecution to local punters, thereby preventing future action against their operations. Furthermore, the arrested accused have explicitly named high-ranking officials connected to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) who regularly received substantial kickbacks.”
ED sources emphasized their position before the court, alleging that “ASI Verma, with the assistance of his relative Verma and bribes sent by Uppal from Dubai, managed to corrupt the entire police system in Raipur and Durg districts.”
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