How juice vendor Chandrakar from Chhattisgarh became a millionaire?

Sourabh Chandrakar, who used to be a juice vendor in Chattisgarh’s Bhilai, is expected to be extradited to India after his arrest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in an alleged $713 million betting scam linked. 

Chandrakar, one of the main promoters of the Mahadev app, was arrested in the scam case. Chandrakar and his business partner, Ravi Uppal, have been under “house detention” in Dubai since December 2023. 

In November 2023, the Enforcement Directorate alleged that the duo paid bribes in millions, to the then Chattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. 

To bring Chandrakar back to India, federal agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Chhattisgarh Police are processing extradition documents through the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian media Hindustan Times reported. 

A Raipur Court on Thursday issued an extradition order for the alleged scammer, which is now being sent to the UAE authorities, the report stated. 

Before partnering with co-founder Ravil Uppal, Chandrakar started a juice shop in Bhilai. Later, both of them moved to Dubai in 2019, according to NDTV. 

The duo expanded their operations by setting up call centres in cities across Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE, and India to create subsidiary apps for online betting. 

They opened about 30 call centres in Chhattisgarh and other states, with the support of Sunil Damani and Anil Damani, who were the trusted associates of Chandrakar and Uppal. 

According to the ED, their network included approximately 4,000-panel operators spread across India, each managing around 200 customers placing bets. 

Through this, they both allegedly earned at least $23 million, allowing them to establish a criminal empire in the UAE. 

Moreover, Chandrakar got married in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February 2023, and allegedly spent around $23 million in cash on the event, according to the ED’s chargesheet. 

(With inputs from agencies)