CBI Nabs Mahadev Betting App Kingpin Abhishek Kumar at Hyderabad Airport

The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken into custody Abhishek Kumar, identified as a principal operator of the Mahadev online betting application responsible for a ₹6,000-crore financial fraud. Kumar was apprehended immediately after his arrival from Dubai at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad and later produced before a local court, where a three-day transit remand was approved. Investigators allege he oversaw betting operations, coordinated panels, collected funds, and purchased immovable assets in Dubai using proceeds from illegal gambling, working closely with fellow accused Saurabh Chandrakar and Shubham Soni.

The Mahadev scheme, promoted by Chhattisgarh businessmen Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, is said to have generated illicit earnings of ₹80,000-crore since 2019. The CBI has filed eight chargesheets against around 100 individuals, including promoters, panel operators, hawala facilitators, and public servants, and is pursuing additional extraditions and red-corner notices. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to trace the proceeds and bring all participants to justice.