The Chhattisgarh government has officially transferred the investigation into the Mahadev Betting App case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A formal notification to this effect has been issued on Monday following growing concerns and questions surrounding the ongoing probe.

State Home Minister Vijay Sharma said the decision to hand over the case to the CBI was made to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation. “Seventy cases related to the Mahadev App have been registered, primarily in local police stations, with one case under the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The scope of this investigation has now expanded to multiple states, and there are reports that some key individuals involved may be residing abroad,” he said.

The state home minister also assured that there would be no leniency in this matter. “Strict action will be taken, and efforts will be made to extradite those living abroad to face justice in India,” he added.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating the Mahadev Satta App case for the past 16 months. According to the Central probe agency, several prominent individuals, including former ministers in the previous Congress government in Chhattisgarh, senior police officials, and major property dealers, were implicated. The BJP government, which took office nine months ago, has now referred three significant cases to the CBI, including the Biranpur violence case and CGPSC scams.

In addition to the ED and EOW, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is also investigating the case. The ED’s chargesheet revealed that the app’s promoters – Saurabh Chandrakar, Ravi Uppal, and Shubham Soni – allegedly laundered over ₹1,000 crore of illegal betting profits by investing them in the stock market. This aspect of the case is under SEBI’s scrutiny.

Reports indicate that the app was operated through multiple branches across the country. Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, residents of Bhilai, are identified as the main promoters of the app, operating their activities from Dubai. They allegedly sold each branch as a franchise, allowing the operation to spread rapidly.

So far, the police have arrested over 325 individuals from various states in connection with the case. Raipur police conducted operations not only in Chhattisgarh but also in Katni, Anuppur, Visakhapatnam, Odisha, Delhi, Goa, and Maharashtra. During these operations, authorities froze bank accounts and seized assets worth more than ₹200 crore. The syndicate allegedly involves over 4,000 members, with approximately 4,000 branches still in operation across the country.