Central investigating agencies have dramatically stepped up their multi-pronged crackdown in the high-profile Mahadev online betting app case across Chhattisgarh, launching simultaneous searches in Raipur and Mahasamund while securing custodial interrogation of the syndicate’s alleged kingpin, Saurabh Chandrakar. On Friday morning, a team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residence of Mohit Somani in Raipur’s Samta Colony, conducting an intensive two-hour search and seizing crucial documents and digital material. Hours later, a second CBI team carried out late-evening searches at the residence of businessman Radheshyam Agarwal in neighboring Mahasamund district. Meanwhile, in a decisive courtroom development in Raipur on Friday evening, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seven-day custodial remand of Saurabh Chandrakar—paving the way for intensive questioning into multi-thousand-crore money laundering, hawala channels, and alleged political-bureaucratic links.

CBI Raids Mohit Somani's Residence in Raipur's Samta Colony

Acting on fresh operational leads gathered during ongoing custodial interrogations, CBI sleuths arrived at Mohit Somani’s residence in Samta Colony, Raipur, early Friday morning and remained inside for approximately two hours. During the search, officers scrutinized property papers, financial records, bank transaction trails, and electronic devices before departing with seized evidentiary material.

According to investigating agency sources, Mohit Somani maintained direct links with the core promoters of the Mahadev betting network. Investigators allege that he purchased an illicit betting franchise panel for ₹35 lakh and actively operated an online gambling network through the Mahadev 364 panel, distributing betting IDs to sub-bookies and punters. Somani is already behind bars in Raigarh Jail, having previously been tracked down and arrested in November 2024 through coordinated operations by Raipur Police in Kolkata’s New Town area and Raigarh Police at a rented villa near Candolim in Goa.

Second CBI Team Searches Businessman's House in Mahasamund

Alongside the morning operation in the state capital, a separate CBI unit expanded the search perimeter to Mahasamund district late Friday evening, raiding the residence of local businessman Radheshyam Agarwal. While CBI officials maintained strict operational silence regarding the exact recoveries made during the late-night search, local administrative sources indicated that the raid followed complaints linked to the alleged theft of gold and counterfeit currency. Investigators are examining whether financial transactions or assets connected to the premises intersect with wider laundering networks under scrutiny in Chhattisgarh.

Special PMLA Court Grants ED 7-Day Remand of Saurabh Chandrakar

The day’s most consequential legal breakthrough unfolded inside the special court in Raipur, where the Enforcement Directorate formally secured seven days of custodial remand of Mahadev app main promoter Saurabh Chandrakar (valid until November 19, 2026). Chandrakar—originally from Bhilai in Durg district—was recently extradited to India from Oman on November 1 following an Interpol Red Notice and diplomatic proceedings under the India-Oman Extradition Treaty.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chandrakar had been produced before a special CBI court in Raipur upon completing an eight-day CBI remand, during which the CBI formally placed him under arrest and the court remanded him to judicial custody. At that stage, the ED had moved an initial plea seeking his custody, which the court declined on procedural grounds while directing the financial probe agency to file a dedicated application before the special PMLA court. Completing the statutory requirements, the ED obtained a production warrant and presented its case before the PMLA judge on Friday. Following extended arguments between ED special counsel and defense lawyers, the court granted the ED seven-day custodial interrogation late Friday evening.

What the ED Will Probe During Chandrakar's Interrogation

With Saurabh Chandrakar now in its custody, the Enforcement Directorate is set to confront him with voluminous digital evidence, banking trails, and statements recorded from previously arrested accused. Across its ongoing money-laundering investigation registered under the PMLA, the ED has already filed six chargesheets naming 116 accused, arrested 15 individuals prior to Chandrakar, and attached illicit assets worth roughly ₹1,885 crore. Over the next seven days in Raipur, ED investigators will focus on mapping international hawala networks, shell entities used to layer betting proceeds, and the exact flow of alleged protection money routed to influential intermediaries across Chhattisgarh and beyond.