Ravi Uppal Arrested in UAE: India Moves for Extradition of Mahadev App Co-Promoter
Dubai authorities detained Ravi Uppal, 46, a co-promoter of the Mahadev betting app, based on an Interpol Red Notice issued by Indian investigative agencies. The development marks a significant escalation in New Delhi’s pursuit of fugitives linked to the multi-crore online wagering scandal, with formal extradition proceedings now underway through UAE channels.
- Ravi Uppal, 46, was apprehended in Dubai on an Interpol Red Notice requested by Indian probe agencies.
- India has formally initiated extradition proceedings, leveraging bilateral legal mechanisms with the UAE.
- The arrest intensifies the federal crackdown on the Mahadev betting platform’s alleged money-laundering network and political ties.
Dubai police, acting on an Interpol Red Notice issued by Indian investigative authorities, apprehended Ravi Uppal, 46, a co-promoter of the Mahadev betting app, early this week. The arrest represents a landmark development in India’s high-profile crackdown on illicit online wagering networks operating across borders.
The Mahadev app has been at the center of a sprawling federal investigation since 2022, with the Enforcement Directorate and other agencies alleging the platform facilitated crores of rupees in illegal betting and money-laundering operations. Multiple operatives have been detained or forced into exile since the probe intensified, yet Uppal’s capture in the UAE underscores the government’s expanding reach into transnational organized crime.
Officials familiar with the case told PTI that the Interpol notice was issued following concrete evidence linking Uppal to the app’s financial infrastructure and alleged patronage ties. The Ministry of External Affairs has reportedly commenced formal extradition protocols with UAE counterparts, leveraging existing bilateral judicial frameworks to facilitate the transfer of the accused.
