Abhishek Kumar arrested in Mahadev betting app scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Abhishek Kumar, the alleged kingpin of the Mahadev Online Betting Application scam, at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Kumar was apprehended upon his arrival from Dubai.

Investigators allege that Kumar played a central role in operating the Mahadev Book, which involved coordinating betting panels, collecting funds, and acquiring immovable assets in Dubai using proceeds from illegal gambling. During a search following his arrest, officials seized incriminating material that reportedly links him to other primary accused individuals, Saurabh Chandrakar and Shubham Soni.

After being produced before a local court in Hyderabad, Kumar was granted three days of transit remand. He has since been moved to Raipur, where a court granted two days of police custody. The Mahadev app investigation involves 13 FIRs transferred from the Chhattisgarh government to the CBI. To date, the agency has filed eight chargesheets against approximately 100 individuals, including promoters, panel operators, hawala operators, and public servants. The scam is alleged to have generated proceeds of crime worth Rs 80,000 crore since 2019.