Narayangaon Raid Unveils Pune Link To Mahadev Betting App Scam, 90 Detained By Rural Police

Reported by Varad Bhatkhande

Narayangaon, 15th May 2024: Links to the Mahadev Betting App Scam have surfaced in Pune. Under the jurisdiction of the Pune Rural Police, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) conducted raid in Narayangaon and two individuals, members of a prominent businessman’s family. Later, 90 more persons were detained.

The Rural Police received information that the operations of the Mahadev Betting app were being conducted in a building in Narayangaon, prompting the raid.

Police traced the roots of the Mahadev Betting App scam back to Pune’s Narayangaon when they raided locations in foreign countries and other states in India. Operations for the app were being conducted in a building in Narayangaon, where the entire premises were dedicated to the Mahadev Betting App.

Ritvik Kothari and Pokariya are suspected to be the main culprits in this operation. Residents, as well as individuals from other states, are involved, with the majority of those caught by the police belonging to other states in India.

Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh said, “We received information that suspicious activities were taking place in a 3-storeyed building under the guise of a call centre. Our LCB and SDPO Khed raided these premises. Upon raiding this premises, we discovered that betting related to the Mahadev Betting App and Lotus 365 app was ongoing. Payment processing for the apps was happening through this place. Mobiles and laptops have been confiscated. This setup has been in operation for the past two months. Actual betting wasn’t happening, but payment processing for betting in the Mahadev App was being done here. We are investigating this matter further, and more details will be revealed upon interrogation.”

Mahadev Betting App Scandal Deepens

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is receiving new information about the app every day. As part of their investigation, the ED has summoned many prominent Bollywood stars for interrogation. According to ED officials, it has been revealed during the investigation that the accused involved in this case have used crores of rupees to acquire properties through the use of Mahadev Betting and related apps.

The director of the Mahadev Betting App, Saurabh Chandrakar, started the app with his friend Ravi Uppal. The app is used for online betting. Chandrakar had a lavish wedding in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2023, with big celebrities in attendance. Due to the grand scale of this wedding, it attracted the attention of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), leading to the discovery and busting of a significant money laundering network.