The Royal Oman Police have arrested Sourabh Chandrakar, the primary culprit and co-founder of the Rs 6,000 crore Mahadev betting app syndicate. An Interpol Red Notice issued by Indian authorities, notably the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Chhattisgarh Police, served as the basis for the arrest. His extradition or deportation to face charges of money laundering and illegal gambling back home is presently being pursued by Indian agencies.

Chandrakar and his brother operated a tiny juice shop called "Juice Factory" in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, prior to starting the enormous global betting network. In 2019, he departed for Dubai, which was the syndicate's operations center. According to the ED, the Mahadev app operated as a massive international betting ring through a franchise-based network of outlets throughout India and a number of online platforms, including "Tiger Exchange," "Gold365," and "Laser247."

Significant crackdowns have already occurred as a result of the inquiry; the ED has seized assets worth Rs 1,700 crore, mostly in Dubai's famous Burj Khalifa. Ravi Uppal, Chandrakar's partner and co-founder, allegedly escaped UAE jurisdiction to Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, while Chandrakar was jailed in Dubai in 2024 and later freed. In five charge sheets submitted to a special court in Raipur, 74 entities have been designated as suspects and 13 people have been arrested thus far. Additionally, the promoters are being formally labeled as fugitive economic offenders by the authorities.

Strong bilateral ties and the newly signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Oman, which went into force on June 1, 2026, are two reasons why Indian authorities are still very hopeful about Chandrakar's homecoming.