Rs 60000000000: Mahadev betting app mastermind goes missing, suspected to have fled UAE, probe agencies on alert
Ravi Uppal, co-founder of the Mahadev Online Book App, who, along with Saurabh Chandrakar, allegedly built an illegal betting network worth several thousand crore rupees, has fled from Dubai to an unknown location.
One of the main accused in the Rs. 6,000-crore Mahadev betting app scam, Ravi Uppal, has reportedly gone missing and is suspected to have fled the UAE, according to media reports. Uppal, who co-founded Mahadev Online Book along with Sourabh Chandrakar, was detained in the UAE in December 2023 but released 45 days later. Though he was under surveillance due to ongoing extradition proceedings, officials now say his current location is unknown, causing serious concern for both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI, who are jointly probing the case.
Earlier, in October 2024, co-promoter Sourabh Chandrakar was also arrested in the UAE following an Interpol Red Notice, but was granted bail soon after.
The Mahadev betting app scam, exposed during the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh, grabbed national attention after the ED alleged links between senior politicians and bureaucrats and the illegal betting network.
The ED is investigating the money laundering angle, while the CBI has taken over the criminal probe from Chhattisgarh Police. An FIR names Uppal, Chandrakar and several others as accused.
According to the ED, the Mahadev app acted as an “umbrella syndicate” that managed multiple online betting platforms from handling user registrations, ID creations, and massive fund transfers through a web of fake and benami bank accounts.
The Mahadev Betting app scam: Inside India(BHARAT)’s Rs. 6,000-Crore illegal network
Launched in 2018, the Mahadev Online Book app quickly grew into one of India(BHARAT)’s largest illegal betting operations, reportedly earning around Rs. 200 crore in profits every day, according to investigators.
At the centre of this vast criminal enterprise was a Rs. 6,000-crore network that operated through over 3,200 betting panels across India(BHARAT). Sources told NDTV that daily wagers often exceeded Rs. 240 crore.
The syndicate ran an extensive global operation, over 3,500 people were employed in Dubai, while several call centres managed betting operations from Chhattisgarh, as well as Malaysia and Thailand.
Promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal allegedly maintained strong ties with police officials, bureaucrats, and politicians, using regular payoffs to keep their activities hidden from enforcement agencies.
When the case surfaced two years ago, it also politically shook former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who was then seeking re-election. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) accused him of accepting Rs. 508 crore, though Baghel has firmly denied any involvement.
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