Goa: In a significant development in the multi-crore Mahadev online betting case, Ravi Uppal, co-promoter of the alleged illegal betting syndicate, has been arrested in Dubai. Indian investigative agencies are now working to secure his extradition to India for questioning and further investigation.
According to officials quoted in media reports on November 4, the 46-year-old Uppal was apprehended by Dubai authorities on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice issued at the request of Indian agencies. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are coordinating efforts to bring him back to face proceedings in India.
The development comes just days after Uppal’s alleged business partner and fellow promoter, Sourabh Chandrakar, was extradited from Oman. Chandrakar was brought to India on November 1 and subsequently remanded to eight days of CBI custody by a special court in Raipur.
Uppal and Chandrakar, both originally from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, are accused of operating the Mahadev Online Book betting platform through an extensive network of betting panels and franchise operators.
Media reports have mentioned that it has been alleged that Uppal played a crucial role in managing the syndicate’s financial operations, including hawala transactions and the delivery of alleged illegal payments to politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh. Investigators are also examining the alleged layering and transfer of betting proceeds through multiple bank accounts and overseas channels.
The agency has estimated that the betting network generated proceeds of crime worth approximately ₹80,000 crore since 2019, according to its investigation.
Uppal had earlier been detained in the UAE in December 2023 following the issuance of the Interpol notice, but was subsequently released.
His reported arrest, coming shortly after Chandrakar’s return, could provide investigators an opportunity to examine the syndicate’s alleged financial network, identify beneficiaries and establish the roles of other individuals involved.
However, reports indicate that Indian agencies had initially received information about the arrest through unofficial channels, with formal communication from UAE authorities awaited.
