India

Ravi Uppal Arrested in Dubai as Indian Agencies Seek His Return

By Livemint

Ravi Uppal, 43, co‑founder of the Mahadev betting app, was arrested in Dubai on Wednesday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are working to secure his return to India, ANI reported. An Interpol Red Corner Notice was issued against Uppal in October 2023. He was detained in Dubai in December 2023 but released after 45 days. The ED alleges that Uppal managed a hawala network handling transactions worth hundreds of crores of rupees and maintained links with politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh. According to the agency, he was a co‑controller of the network and facilitated the movement of crores of rupees into India through hawala channels. In January 2026, the ED attached assets worth approximately ₹21 crore linked to him.

Uppal hails from Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, and is a main promoter of Mahadev Online Book. He ran the betting operation from Dubai with business partner Sourabh Chandrakar. Reports say the two operated the Mahadev Book syndicate from Dubai, which they referred to as their “head office.” A large number of youth from Chhattisgarh were allegedly employed as managers, supervisors and other staff to run the illegal online betting operations, according to PTI.

The ED has alleged that Uppal and Chandrakar both hold passports issued by Vanuatu, which the agency suspects were used to evade Indian investigative agencies and legal proceedings. Vanuatu does not have an extradition treaty with India.

The Mahadev Betting App case is a ₹6,000‑crore financial scandal involving an illegal online gambling and betting syndicate operated from Dubai. The Mahadev app, also known as the Mahadev Online Book (MOB), is primarily promoted by the two Chhattisgarh‑based absconding businessmen. It is alleged to have generated proceeds of crime worth ₹80,000 crore since 2019. The Government of Chhattisgarh transferred 13 FIRs registered at different police stations relating to the Mahadev Betting App to the CBI, which took over the cases. The CBI has filed six chargesheets in the matter against 116 accused persons, including the main promoters, panel operators, hawala operators and public servants of the Government of Chhattisgarh.