The alleged kingpin of the Mahadev betting app, Saurabh Chandrakar (31), was remanded in CBI custody for eight days. He will now be taken to the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi.While Chandrakar landed in the CBI net recently, several big fish – Ravi Uppal, Shubham Soni and Vikas Chhaparia – are believed to be in Dubai police’s custody.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed five prosecution complaints (equivalent to a chargesheet) in a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Raipur against 116 accused, including some companies. One accused is in judicial custody and 12 are out on bail, while the rest are being traced.Assets worth nearly Rs 9,000 crore have been attached in the case so far, which the agency has shown as proceeds of crime (POC).ED counsel Saurabh Kumar Pandey told The Indian Express, “The proceeds of crime involve both movable (cash, share capital, bank deposits, jewellery) and immovable property (land).”“Chandrakar fled from Dubai to Oman during the Iranian crisis. It was expected that he was trying ways to escape to some other country. Upon an extradition request made by ED Raipur, the authorities in Oman were pleased to accept the same. As per information, his partners in crime are detained by Dubai authorities in a Money Laundering case under their laws,” Pandey said.Also Read | Mahadev betting app scam: Key accused Saurabh Chandrakar extradited from OmanSoni came into the spotlight for making a purported confessional video in which he made allegations against then Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel two days before polling day for the assembly elections in November 2023.Story continues below this adSoni’s video went viral and became a major political issue after it was first released by the BJP’s social media handle. Soni claimed he was the owner of the Mahadev betting app and that he gave Rs 508 crore to Baghel, as well as “protection money” to Chhattisgarh politicians and police to protect his staff involved in the illegal betting.Days before the video, the ED had arrested a driver, Asim Das, and claimed to recover Rs 5.39 crore from him. Das had alleged that he got the money from Soni and had to deliver it to Baghel.However, when produced in court after his arrest, Das retracted his statement against Baghel, saying he was framed in the case. Then, on December 12, 2023 – by which time the BJP had won the assembly elections – Das again changed his statement and said he had delivered the money to Baghel.Baghel had issued a detailed response: “As I said earlier, BJP wants to fight elections by using central agencies like ED, IT, etc. Just before elections, an ugly attempt is made to spoil my image. This is a political attempt to defame the popular Congress government through ED’s medium. Earlier, in the Mahadev app case, ED defamed people close to me by raiding their homes, and now, suddenly, based on a person’s statement, they have made an allegation that I took Rs 508 crore.”Story continues below this adAlso Read | From Rs 15,000 salary to Rs 200-crore wedding: Mahadev accused Saurabh Chandrakar’s riseSoon after the BJP came to power, the state EOW named Baghel, Chandrakar, Soni and 15 others in a case linked to the betting app. The case was handed over to the CBI in 2024.Ever since Chandrakar’s arrest, the political atmosphere has heated up again. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Tuesday, “His questioning will reveal who all were receiving protection money.”Hitting back at Sai and terming the FIR politically motivated, Baghel said, “Who is running the app – is it Chandrakar or Soni? Who obtained the video of Shubham Soni? The ED. Who released it? The BJP office. In that video, Soni claims that he is the owner of the Mahadev betting app and that these people are his employees. Now, they (central agencies) say Chandrakar is a promoter, and the same ED is taking action against him. Soni says Chandrakar is his employee. The ED and CBI should clarify who the actual owner is — Soni or Chandrakar.”