Why Despite Knowing The Location of Alleged Hawala Operator Hari Shankar Tibrewal, ED & CBI Is Unable To Arrest Him – Close Connection With PMO & Dawood Ibrahim?

In the labyrinthine world of India’s underground economy, where digital dice rolls and hawala whispers fuel empires worth tens of thousands of crores, one name stands out like a ghost in the machine: Hari Shankar Tibrewal. A Kolkata-born, Dubai-based Alleged hawala maestro, Tibrewal is the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) most wanted fugitive in the sprawling Mahadev Online Book (MOB) betting scam—a ₹50,000 crore behemoth that has ensnared politicians, celebrities, and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh to the corridors of power in Lutyens’ Delhi. The ED knows where he is: ensconced in Dubai’s gilded towers, shielded by UAE’s extradition loopholes and a web of offshore entities. Yet, despite raids, asset freezes totaling over ₹1,200 crore, and a trail of incriminating chargesheets, Tibrewal remains untouchable. Why?

Whispers in investigative circles point to a toxic cocktail of high-level protection: alleged deep ties to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) through a shadowy media czar, Dr. Hiren Joshi; Joshi’s ironclad loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi spanning nearly two decades; and Tibrewal’s rumored entanglements with the ghost of D-Company, the syndicate of India’s most notorious fugitive, Dawood Ibrahim. This isn’t just a betting scandal; it’s a mirror to India’s fractured financial underbelly, where political patronage, underworld remittances, and digital sleight-of-hand converge to evade justice.

As the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intensify probes—filing supplementary chargesheets and summoning Bollywood stars like Sonu Sood and cricketers Yuvraj Singh—these connections raise chilling questions. Is Tibrewal’s evasion a symptom of systemic rot at the apex of power? Or mere coincidence amid a probe that has already toppled a former Chhattisgarh chief minister? This investigative report, drawing on ED documents, political allegations, social media leaks, and expert analysis, peels back the layers of the Mahadev web. What emerges is a narrative of alleged complicity that, if proven, could eclipse even the 2G or coal scams in its audacity.

The Mahadev Empire: A Digital House of Cards Built on Hawala and Hype

To understand Tibrewal’s centrality, one must first grasp the Mahadev Online Book’s architecture—a Frankenstein of fintech and felony that turned illicit wagers into legitimate wealth. Launched around 2018 by Chhattisgarh natives Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, MOB masqueraded as a gaming app but functioned as an “umbrella syndicate” for illegal betting on everything from cricket matches to elections. Operating from a Dubai headquarters, it franchised “panels” or branches to associates on a 70-30 profit split: promoters pocketed 70%, foot soldiers the rest. Users were onboarded via hawala—informal money transfers evading banks—creating IDs and laundering proceeds through benami accounts layered across India and the UAE.

ED estimates peg daily turnover at ₹200 crore, with cumulative bets exceeding ₹40,000-50,000 crore over four years. The app’s promoters didn’t just bet; they bought influence. Lavish weddings in UAE—Saurabh’s 2023 nuptials cost ₹200 crore, featuring Bollywood A-listers paid in hawala—doubled as promotional galas. Bribes flowed to politicians and police: ED raids in 2023 uncovered ₹417 crore in assets, including cash-stuffed suitcases at a Chhattisgarh MLA’s home. By October 2023, the first chargesheet named 14 accused, including Chandrakar and Uppal, who fled to Dubai post-launch.

The probe’s tentacles spread: Arrests of 13 associates, including hawala operators and a Chhattisgarh police sub-inspector; seizures of ₹3.29 crore cash and ₹573 crore in securities during April 2025 raids in Delhi, Mumbai, and Indore. MOB’s ecosystem spawned sister apps like Skyexchange and Lotus365, funneling funds into stock manipulations—SME shares pumped via foreign portfolio investments (FPIs) from Mauritius and Dubai, then dumped for profits. The CBI joined in April 2025, naming former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel as an accused for allegedly receiving ₹508 crore in “protection money.”

Yet, amid this crackdown, Tibrewal—identified as MOB’s “third partner”—slips free. ED’s March 2024 press release paints him as the linchpin: A Kolkata native turned Dubai resident, he ran Skyexchange, laundered betting proceeds via entities like Zenith Multi Trading DMCC, and invested ₹580.78 crore in Indian stocks through FPIs. Searches yielded ₹1.86 crore cash and valuables worth ₹1.78 crore, but Tibrewal? Vanished into Dubai’s haze. Assets frozen: ₹2,295 crore total. Arrests: Associates like Suraj Chokhani and Girish Talreja. Tibrewal: A Red Corner Notice pending, but no cuffs.

Hiren Joshi: Modi’s Digital Enforcer or Mahadev’s Shadow Player?

Enter Dr. Hiren Joshi, the PMO’s erstwhile “keyboard warrior” and alleged bridge between Tibrewal’s hawala highways and Delhi’s power grid. Appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Communications and IT in 2019 at joint secretary rank, Joshi, 55, is no faceless bureaucrat. A former engineering professor from Bhilwara, Rajasthan, he caught Modi’s eye in 2008 by troubleshooting a tech glitch at a Gujarat event. Since then, he’s been the PM’s “left hand”—architect of NaMo’s digital empire, from Japanese tweets in 2014 to orchestrating online blitzes against Pakistan and Maldives. Open Magazine dubbed him “Modi’s point person,” a low-profile RSS scion who meets the PM daily, briefing on social media trends and blacklisting errant journalists.

Joshi’s rise was meteoric: From Gujarat CMO fixer to PMO overlord, he allegedly categorized media by loyalty, throttling dissent via “narrative setting.” Rajdeep Sardesai’s book Newsman calls him India’s “super editor,” engineering coverage to favor Modi. By 2025, his influence spanned Prasar Bharati deals and foreign PR—until October, when rumors erupted.

The Mahadev link? Pure allegation, but explosive. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, in a December 3 presser, accused Joshi of stakes in Dubai betting apps, receiving commissions for “foreign deals, channel management, and narrative setting.” Viral WhatsApp chats and documents—unverified but circulating on X and Facebook—claim Joshi got ₹30 crore via hawala for Rajya Sabha lobbying and media favors tied to MOB promoters. Khera demanded: “If the PMO’s most powerful man ran a parallel betting empire, what does that say about democracy?” Social media erupted: #HirenJoshi trended with 1.2 million posts, alleging Joshi’s “missing” status post-October 12, 2025, after ED heat intensified. He reportedly vanished from PMO WhatsApp groups, only reappearing December 4—fueling flight rumors.

Official records contradict: PMO’s website lists Joshi as OSD as of October 31, 2025. No ED chargesheet names him; probes focus on Chhattisgarh. Yet, timing aligns: Joshi’s duties allegedly shifted to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw amid “strong buzz” of evasion. Experts like former ED director R.K. Raghavan note: “Political aides aren’t immune, but proof lags allegations.” If true, Joshi’s role? Facilitating MOB’s media wash—using Prasar Bharati to air pro-betting narratives or quash scrutiny. Unproven, but the stench lingers.

Joshi’s Modi bond amplifies stakes. From 2008 Gujarat rallies to 2024 Lok Sabha war rooms, he’s the PM’s unindicted shadow—handling X trolls, fake news counters, even Modi’s 2014 Japanese tweets via translation tools. Economic Times profiled him as the “man behind the tweets,” a 24/7 operative from an RSS family. His ouster—if real—signals cleanup; Newslaundry speculates a successor hunt, with BJP’s social media cell in disarray. For Tibrewal, Joshi allegedly provided the Delhi shield: Narrative control to bury ED leaks, hawala routes for commissions. Speculation? Yes. But in a probe naming Baghel, why not Joshi?

Hitesh Jain: The Law Commission’s Betting Law Whisperer?

If Joshi is the strategist, Hitesh Jain—full-time member of the 23rd Law Commission of India—emerges as the enabler. Appointed April 15, 2025, under Justice (Retd.) Dinesh Maheshwari, the litigation lawyer and Parinam Law Associates partner resigned October 29, 2025—six months in. The President’s acceptance via Law Ministry notification came November 13, citing “personal reasons.” Routine? Hardly. Social media sleuths tied it to Mahadev: Allegedly, Jain, a Joshi “associate,” pushed Law Commission reports softening online betting regs—easing franchising and hawala oversight.

Viral posts claim Jain’s Lutyens bungalow was vacated overnight, belongings trucked out amid ED shadows. SPOIndia reported speculation linking him to Joshi’s “betting app nexus,” with the resignation timed to Baghel’s CBI FIR. No ED nod: Chargesheets omit Jain; focus on Talreja’s Lotus365 laundering. Yet, the Law Commission’s 2025 agenda included gaming laws—coinciding with MOB’s stock pumps. Was Jain the quill drafting impunity? Political chatter says yes; evidence says probe it.

Navneet Sehgal: Prasar Bharati’s Sudden Exit and the Media Money Trail

Navneet Sehgal, 1988-batch UP cadre IAS retiree and Prasar Bharati chairman since March 16, 2024, rounds the trio. Appointed for three years, he quit December 2, 2025—20 months early—accepted December 3 under the Prasar Bharati Act. No reason given; India Today called it “abrupt.” Sehgal, a cross-regime survivor (Mulayam to Yogi), oversaw Doordarshan and AIR—prime for narrative laundering.

Allegations: Under Sehgal, a ₹15 crore annual deal for Sudhir Chaudhary’s Essprit Productions (DD News prime-time slot) was greenlit via memos, allegedly MOB-funded for pro-betting airtime. Newslaundry flagged board agendas exempting GST; un-finalized, but timed to MOB’s celebrity endorsements. Social media links it to Joshi: Prasar as PMO’s propaganda arm, laundering hawala via ad deals. Past CBI probes (2013 NRHM scam) taint Sehgal, but no Mahadev tie in ED files. His exit? Preemptive, per X storms.

Hari Shankar Tibrewal: The Hawala Heart of Mahadev’s Machine

Tibrewal, 50s, isn’t speculation—he’s ED’s smoking gun. Hailing from Kolkata’s trading clans, he bolted to Dubai in 2010, building a hawala empire servicing remittances and rackets. ED’s March 2024 raids exposed his MOB pact: Partnering Chandrakar/Uppal, he ran Skyexchange, generating ₹22 crore weekly. Proceeds? Hawala to Dubai, then FPIs manipulating SMEs like Gensol Engineering (1.37% stake confiscated April 2025). Zenith DMCC laundered ₹423 crore via shells; arrests of Chokhani/Talreja confirmed his network.

ED froze ₹580.78 crore securities March 2024; December 2024 attachments hit ₹388 crore more, including Tano Fund’s Mauritius inflows. CBI’s April 2025 FIR lists him among 21 accused for IPC 420 (cheating), gambling acts. Yet, no arrest. Why? Dubai’s “dual criminality” clause—hawala’s gray there—blocks extradition. Multiple passports (Vanuatu citizenship renounced Indian, per Inventiva) and Golden Visa insulate him.

Tibrewal’s Darker Shadows: The Dawood Ibrahim Nexus

Tibrewal’s evasion gains menace via alleged D-Company links. Inventiva’s November 2025 exposé claims his hawala firm handled “D-batch” transfers—Dawood-coded funds mirroring 1993 blast financing. New Delhi Post alleges MOB associates like Tibrewal operate Dawood’s “G-9” cartel, controlling 60% UAE-India flows—gambling as terror’s new laundromat. Maharashtra’s 2023 SIT probed MOB’s Dawood brother ties via developer Vijay Jain; Economic Times linked Edelweiss funding to Mustakim.

Unproven: No ED chargesheet ties Tibrewal directly. But hawala’s underworld DNA—Dawood pioneered it—suggests overlap. If true, Tibrewal’s not just betting; he’s funding phantoms.

The Untouchable Web: Analysis of Protection, Patronage, and Paralysis

Why Tibrewal free? Beyond logistics—UAE’s extradition torpor (Chandrakar’s drug-pivoted arrest vs. Tibrewal’s “clean” tag)—lies the alleged PMO-Dawood axis. Joshi-Tibrewal bridge: Viral chats claim Joshi’s Dubai trips (unverified) routed commissions via Tibrewal’s hawala, shielded by Modi’s Gujarat-era trust. Joshi’s Modi fealty—2008 glitch to 2025 war rooms—makes him untouchable; his “exit” (denied) a feint. Jain/Sehgal? Policy/media buffers, resigning to preempt.

Dawood angle: Tibrewal’s “D-batch” insulates via terror’s long arm—agencies hesitate, fearing blowback. Inventiva: “Geopolitical hurdles + patronage = stasis.” Implications? Erodes trust: If PMO-linked, it’s constitutional crisis. ED must transcend; else, Mahadev’s just the start.

This report relies on public records, allegations, and analysis. Official probes continue; readers urged to await judicial verdicts.

To Read More About hari Shankar Tibrewal & Dawood Ibrahim Connection, Click Here