- Mahadev App co-promoter Ravi Uppal arrested in Dubai.
- CBI, ED working to extradite Uppal to India.
- Arrest follows Interpol Red Notice, previous detention.
Days after India brought Mahadev betting app co-promoter Saurabh Chandrakar back from Oman, another key accused in the alleged betting syndicate, Ravi Uppal, has been arrested in Dubai. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are now working to secure his extradition to India, officials said on Wednesday, PTI reported.
The 46-year-old was arrested by Dubai authorities based on an Interpol Red Notice issued at the request of Indian investigative agencies. The agencies are seeking further information through official channels and are working to expedite the extradition process.
The arrest comes three days after a CBI team brought Chandrakar, Uppal's associate and fellow promoter of the Mahadev Online Book (MOB), back to India from Oman on November 1. A court in Oman had approved his extradition in connection with a money laundering case being investigated by the ED.
Uppal's Earlier Detention And Alleged Role In The Betting Network
This is not the first time Uppal has been detained in the UAE. Dubai authorities had taken him into custody in December 2023 following an Interpol Red Notice issued in October that year. However, he was released within 45 days.
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Indian agencies later learnt that he had left the UAE and was believed to be in Australia, according to officials. He is now reported to have returned to Dubai, where he was arrested again.
The ED has claimed that Uppal had been managing the money operations of the betting network, including hawala transactions worth hundreds of crores of rupees. He was also said to have been the go-between for politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh.
The agency is seeking his custody so that he can be questioned about the hawala network and the source of money, and to identify who the people are who are reaping the rewards of the betting business.
Mahadev App Allegedly Generated Proceeds Worth Rs 80,000 Crore
The Mahadev app (Mahadev Online Book or MOB) was launched in 2019-20. The agency claimed that it experienced a "sharp" increase in users during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and that its user base continued to grow thereafter.
According to the agency, the platform operated on thousands of panels and had generated proceeds of crime of about Rs 80,000 crore from 2019 onwards.
Uppal and Chandrakar, both based in Bhilai, Durg district of Chhattisgarh, are among the main accused in this case. The ED has also been trying to get the other accused, Vikas Chhaparia, who is allegedly in Dubai.