Dubai Police On Wednesday arrested one of the two prime accused name – Ravi Uppal, in the  in the Mahadev Book online betting syndicate.

However, he will be soon extradited to India.

In a significant success for the Enforcement Directorate, Dubai Police yesterday arrested Ravi Uppal, one of the two prime accused in the Mahadev Book online betting syndicate. Uppal may soon be extradited to India pic.twitter.com/r5pDdlxuR9

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2023

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“The Enforcement Directorate achieved a major breakthrough as Dubai Police arrested Ravi Uppal, one of the primary suspects involved in the Mahadev Book online betting syndicate. Uppal’s extradition to India is anticipated in the near future,” as per ANI.

“Dubai Police recently apprehended Ravi Uppal, one of the principal suspects involved in the Mahadev Book online betting syndicate, following a Red Corner notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The authorities in Dubai have conveyed their intentions to deport Uppal to India where he faces allegations of money laundering linked to transactions amounting to Rs 6,000 crore,” TOI quoted sources as saying.

Sourabh Chandrakar, another key figure in the illicit betting network and currently situated in the UAE, is also expected to be arrested soon and extradited to India. Red Corner notices were issued against both Uppal and Chandrakar after the ED obtained a non-bailable warrant against them from a special court in Raipur.

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Uppal’s arrest signals a pivotal development in the Mahadev Book online case. Earlier, one of the accused alleged that the platform’s promoters had offered Rs 500 crore in bribes to Congress politicians. This claim stirred controversy during the Chhattisgarh elections, with the BJP leveraging it against the then ruling party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to “Mahadev ko bhi nahin chhoda” (they did not spare even Lord Mahadev) during the campaign might have contributed to the Congress party’s unexpected defeat.

In a related incident prior to the Chhattisgarh polls, the ED arrested Asim Das in Raipur on November 2 with Rs 5 crore cash. Das allegedly confessed that the funds were to be delivered to a politician named ‘Baghel’ and were sent by Mahadev App promoters Chandrakar and Uppal. The ED later stated that the allegations made by Das were subject to further investigation.

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The ED had filed a chargesheet against the masterminds of the Mahadev App fraud and initiated steps to extradite Chandrakar and Uppal from the UAE. Chandrakar is under scrutiny for reportedly spending approximately Rs 200 crore on his wedding in the UAE. The process for obtaining a Red Corner notice commenced after obtaining non-bailable warrants against the fugitives, which are essential criteria for extradition from a foreign jurisdiction.