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New Delhi . The country’s biggest court has expressed displeasure over the escape from Dubai of Ravi Uppal, accused of defrauding more than Rs 6000 crore from Mahadev betting app. The Supreme Court has directed ED to trace and arrest betting app co-founder Ravi Uppal. The court said that courts and investigating agencies cannot be allowed to become toys for those accused of white-collar crimes.

According to media reports, the bench of Justice MM Sundaresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma expressed displeasure over accused Uppal evading the law and said that it shocks the conscience of the court, now something has to be done. It is said that Uppal, who was evading the enforcement agencies in India, has gone into hiding at some unknown place in Dubai, due to which the UAE authorities have stopped his extradition process.

The court said that courts and agencies are not toys for such criminals. ED should find and arrest him soon. The Supreme Court was hearing Uppal’s petition in which he has challenged the March 22 order of the Chhattisgarh High Court. The High Court had directed him to attend the hearing of the money laundering case pending in the lower court of Raipur.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, told the court that Uppal was in custody in Dubai in 2023 but has now absconded from there. He said such economic criminals often hide in countries with which India does not have an extradition treaty, such as the British Virgin Islands. The bench has fixed the next hearing of the case for November 14 as his lawyer sought time. The bench had asked the lawyer to persuade Uppal to return to India and face the proceedings. Uppal was detained in Dubai in December 2023 on the basis of an Interpol notice, but was later released under observation.

ED says that Uppal and his partner Saurabh Chandrakar had started Mahadev Satta App in 2018, through which illegal online betting was done. According to agencies, this scam is worth around Rs 6,000 crore and is spread across many states. Chandrakar was arrested in Dubai in October 2024 and his extradition request is still pending. This case was earlier with Chhattisgarh Police, which had also made former CM Bhupesh Baghel an accused. Later the investigation was handed over to CBI.