Mahadev app promoter Ravi Uppal arrested in Dubai, India seeks extradition

New Delhi | Desk: Ravi Uppal, a co-promoter of the Mahadev online betting app, has been arrested in the UAE (United Arab Emirates). Officials stated on Wednesday that Indian investigative agencies have initiated efforts to secure his extradition.

The arrest of 46-year-old Uppal took place in Dubai, based on a 'Red Notice' issued by Interpol at the request of Indian agencies.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are working in tandem to bring him to India. Previously, Uppal had been detained in the UAE in 2023, though it was later discovered that he was in Australia.

This development follows the recent return of another Mahadev app promoter—and an associate of Uppal—Saurabh Chandrakar, who was brought to India from Oman by a CBI team on November 1.

An Omani court had authorized Chandrakar’s extradition in connection with a money-laundering case currently under investigation by the ED.

Both Uppal and Chandrakar are residents of Bhilai, in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh. According to investigative agencies, the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) app was launched around 2019–20, and its user base expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Operating through thousands of 'panels,' the app has generated approximately ₹80,000 crore in illicit proceeds since 2019.