Mahadev Betting case: DGGI seeks ₹40,603 cr in GST from promoters

Mumbai: The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has issued show-cause notices to Mahadev Book promoters Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal and others, proposing a combined GST demand of more than ₹40,603 crore over transactions allegedly linked to the betting network between April 2020 and March 2024. The noticees have been given 30 days to respond. The public notices issued by DGGI's Raipur Zonal Unit relate to alleged non-payment of GST and include a proposed demand of tax and penalties. The DGGI has assessed the aggregate taxable value of the transactions covered by the proceedings at ₹1,45,010.77 crore.

The proposed liability comprises ₹35,517.22 crore for the period from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2023, and ₹5,085.80 crore in IGST for October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. The first notice names 66 noticees, while the second names 31 noticees, with several individuals appearing in both proceedings. Chandrakar and Uppal have been named as promoters in the two notices issued on August 26.

The department's investigation has mapped nearly 2,000 alleged betting panels, with statements indicating that individual panels received deposits ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh a day. Based on the panel network, investigators estimated aggregate daily deposits at around ₹99 crore. DGGI has alleged that the network failed to obtain the requisite GST registration, file returns or discharge the applicable tax despite the scale of transactions attributed to it.


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The proposed ₹40,603.02-crore GST liability is subject to adjudication, with the noticees being given an opportunity to respond to the allegations and proposed demand.

The department has made detailed show-cause notices available for inspection at its Raipur unit.

Multiple agencies, including the CBI and the ED, are probing alleged irregularities concerning Mahadev Online Book betting application. According to ED, the app generated proceeds of crime of ₹4,000-5,000 crore annually since its alleged illegal operations began in 2019. The agency alleged that Mahadev Online Book functioned as an umbrella syndicate that facilitated online betting through various platforms, with new users enrolled and user IDs created through a network of operators. Funds were routed through a layered network of benami bank accounts, it alleged.