Pioneer in short
betting app promoter faces extradition
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable assets worth around INR 1,700 crore belonging to Sourabh Chandrakar, a key promoter of the Mahadev Online Book betting app, as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation. The properties, largely in Dubai—including the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Hills Estate, Business Bay, and SLS Hotel & Residences—along with two in Delhi, were held through entities controlled by Chandrakar and associates such as Vikas Chhaparia, Rohit Gulati, and Atul Arora.The Mahadev App, co-promoted by Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, is alleged to have run a large-scale international online betting syndicate, generating approximately INR 6,000 crore in illegal proceeds. The operation used multiple platforms, including Tiger Exchange, Gold365, and Laser247, managed via a franchise network across India, while the main promoters operated from Dubai. The latest asset attachment raises the total value seized in the case to INR 4,336 crore. India is pursuing the extradition of Chandrakar from the UAE, while Uppal is believed to have fled to Vanuatu. The ED has arrested 13 people and filed five chargesheets in Raipur, naming 74 entities.
Zubeen GARG Death accidental: Singapore
The death of Indian singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore last year was ruled an accidental drowning, the city-state’s coroner announced Wednesday. State Coroner Adam Nakhoda upheld the Singapore Police Coast Guard’s investigation, rejecting claims of foul play.Garg, 52, drowned near Lazarus Island on September 19, 2025, a day before his scheduled North East India Festival performance. He had voluntarily gone on two swims from a yacht, removing his life jacket despite warnings. Witnesses said Garg had consumed alcohol, with toxicology tests later showing a blood alcohol concentration of 333 mg per 100 ml, more than four times Singapore’s legal limit.
UK Court Rejects Nirav Modi Extradition Plea
Fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi suffered a legal setback on Wednesday after a UK court rejected his plea to reopen proceedings against his extradition to India. The court ruled the application failed to demonstrate "exceptional circumstances" necessary to revisit a settled matter. The petition, countered by the UK Crown Prosecution Service and a CBI team, relied on developments from the Sanjay Bhandari case and cited the US State Department's 2024 human rights report on India. Modi claimed "supervening events" justified reopening the case, raising concerns about potential torture and prison conditions. The court dismissed these arguments, noting they did not materially alter prior risk assessments. Modi has been in UK custody since March 2019 following his arrest over the Punjab National Bank fraud case, which allegedly defrauded the bank of over INR 6,400 crore.
