Mahadev betting app co-promoter Ravi Uppal arrested in UAE

Mumbai: Illegal betting application Mahadev Online Book's co-promoter Ravi Uppal has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Indian authorities have initiated efforts to secure his extradition, said people familiar with the development.

Uppal, who is wanted in the Mahadev betting syndicate case, allegedly operated the betting network along with fellow promoter Sourabh Chandrakar.

The development comes days after Chandrakar was brought to India following his detention in Oman. Like Chandrakar, Uppal too had renounced his Indian passport and taken the citizenship of the Republic of Vanuatu.


Chandrakar was arrested on Sunday and produced before a Delhi court the next day. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the court that he had been detained in Oman for illegal entry on forged travel documents and was subsequently surrendered to India by the Omani government. An open-ended non-bailable warrant issued against him by the CBI special court in Raipur was pending and he had been charge-sheeted in the case.

The CBI alleged that Chandrakar and Uppal promoted the Mahadev Online Book app and operated a betting syndicate through a network of panels and branch operators, with Dubai serving as its head office.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate's probe revealed that operators paid an upfront amount of ₹15-20 lakh to acquire a betting panel and subsequently arranged bank accounts, mobile phones, internet connections and staff. Users were enrolled through WhatsApp and Telegram groups and call centres, while online promotions, bonuses and displays of wealth were used to attract customers. Operators allegedly remitted 70-80% of their profits to the head office.

The agency alleged that hundreds of bank accounts were opened using know-your-customer (KYC) documents obtained through cheating or for small commissions to collect betting proceeds.