SC asks ED to trace and secure absconding Mahadev betting app accused

The Supreme Court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to trace and secure the absconding Mahadev betting app co-founder, who has fled from Dubai to an undisclosed location, saying the white-collar crime accused cannot be allowed to treat courts and probe agencies as "instruments to play around with".

Taking a serious note of accused Ravi Uppal evading the law enforcement agencies, a Bench led by Justice MM Sundresh said, "This shocks our conscience and the court has to do something about it."

Uppal has reportedly fled Dubai, where he was under surveillance, to an undisclosed location forcing the UAE authorities to initiate steps for closure of his extradition proceedings.

"For kingpins like him, the courts and investigating agencies are mere instruments to play around with. We have to do something about it," the Bench said, asking the ED to trace him.

"We will dismiss his petition. Find out how to secure him. He seems to be quite resourceful flying from one place to the other," the Bench said on Tuesday while hearing a plea of Uppal challenging the Chhattisgarh High Court order of March 22 directing him to join the trial in the money laundering case pending before a Raipur trial court.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, said that Uppal appeared to have escaped from Dubai, where he was detained in 2023.

Raju said the accused involved in financial crimes often try to flee to locations where there were no extradition treaties with India like the country has with the United Arab Emirates.

"You can be extradited from the UAE as India has an extradition treaty with them. So, he may have gone to locations like the British Virgin Islands as India does not have an extradition treaty with that country," he submitted.

The Bench, which posted the matter for further hearing on November 14, asked Uppal’s advocate to convince him to return to India and face the proceedings.