The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the house of a cricket bookie in Ravi Nagar and conducted searches in connection with the multi-crore Mahadev online betting racket. The raid was part of a nationwide operation covering 33 locations across six States. The house was linked to a person who worked as a panel operator for the Mahadev betting platform. He was responsible for collecting money from customers and crediting betting points to their accounts. The CBI is also probing his financial links and investments in the network. The panel operator’s name came to light during the investigation.

 

The search team recovered several incriminating documents and digital evidence. The seized material is also being examined to identify people from Nagpur who invested in or financed the betting operations. The panel system worked like a franchise network. According to an earlier Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation, the promoters sold betting panels to associates like small franchises.

 

A panel had an owner and usually four employees. One person could operate multiple panels. The owners received access from the Head Office to create customer profiles and operate the accounts. The operators collected deposits from customers, created user IDs and credited betting points to their accounts. They also handled withdrawals and payouts. Customers were asked to deposit money into bank accounts belonging to other people. These accounts were either opened fraudulently or hired for commission.

 

The operators earned a share of the profits. An ED investigation in August 2023 said panel operators received 20% of the profit, while the remaining amount went to the head office. Another ED release described a 70:30 profit-sharing arrangement between the head office and franchise panels. The money collected through betting was routed through several bank accounts and hawala channels. The CBI suspects that the network was also used to transfer betting proceeds abroad. Its investigation is examining the financial transactions and people who helped run the network. The CBI has registered two FIRs in the alleged Rs 6,000-crore betting scam. It said the platform was operated from abroad through a network of panel operators in India. The recent searches followed disclosures made by promoter Sourabh Chandrakar after his extradition from Oman. Live betting panels were found at several locations and dismantled, said CBI.