Rs 80,000 Cr Betting Network Case: Mahadev App Co-Promoter Arrested in UAE, India Seeks Extradition

Ravi Uppal, co-promoter of the Mahadev online betting app, has been arrested in the UAE, and Indian agencies have initiated steps to bring him back to India, officials said on Wednesday.

Authorities in Dubai arrested the 46-year-old based on an Interpol Red Notice issued against him by Indian investigative agencies. The CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are working to secure his extradition, officials said.

The arrest comes days after another Mahadev app promoter, Saurabh Chandrakar, was brought 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 and Chandrakar, both originally from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district, are accused of being involved in the operations of the betting platform.

Uppal was previously detained by UAE authorities in 2023. However, Indian agencies later discovered that he was in Australia.

The Mahadev app, also known as Mahadev Online Book (MOB), reportedly began operations in 2019-20. Its user base expanded sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and continued to grow afterwards.

According to investigative agencies, the platform operated through thousands of panels and allegedly generated proceeds of crime worth around Rs 80,000 crore since 2019.