Betting scam promoter held in UAE

The alleged promoter of the Rs 6,000-crore Mahadev betting scam, Saurabh Chandrakar, has been arrested by the UAE authorities on charges of money laundering, at the behest of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The operation was closely coordinated by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the ministry of home affairs (MHA).

- Ashish Singh

According to sources, the MEA received the UAE court's order confirming Chandrakar's arrest on Thursday. ED officers have stated that the documentation required for Chandrakar's extradition is in the final stages of preparation and a formal extradition request will be sent to the UAE authorities soon. The accused is expected to be brought to India in the next 10 days.

Interestingly, the ED investigation has uncovered that in an effort to evade arrest and circumvent Indian authorities, promoters Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal have renounced their Indian passports and obtained citizenship of Vanuatu, in Oceania.

This small south Pacific nation has become a favoured destination for individuals seeking citizenship-by-investment schemes, a loophole that Chandrakar has exploited to avoid detection.

A senior officer has confirmed that the Raipur PMLA court has issued an extradition order for Saurabh Chandrakar under Section 59 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), which governs reciprocal arrangements for the extradition of accused persons. This order was issued on Thursday, in response to a formal request from the ED.