Other celebrities and former cricketers are being questioned in connection with a money laundering case linked to online betting app 1xBet.
Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh will appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday, while actor Sonu Sood has been summoned for questioning on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering case linked to online betting app 1xBet.
The probe agency also questioned former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa for over eight hours on Monday and recorded his statement in the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Other people who have been questioned in the case over the last few weeks include former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra.
The ED is investigating the operations of the 1xBet betting app as part of a wider probe against such platforms. These platforms have been accused of duping numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees and reportedly evading a huge amount of direct and indirect taxes.
1xBet is a globally recognised bookmaker with 18 years in the betting industry. The customers can place bets on thousands of sporting events, with the company’s website and app available in 70 languages.
Some other sportspersons, movie actors, social media influencers and celebrities are likely to be questioned in the coming days.
According to reports, the ED’s is trying to ascertain from the celebrities as to how they were contacted by the betting company seeking their endorsement, the nodal person(s) for contact in India, the mode of payment (cash through hawala or banking channel) and place of the payment (in India or abroad) etc.
According to reports, the agency is asking the cricketers and actors if they knew that online betting and gaming was illegal in India. They have also been asked to furnish a copy of their contracts and all relevant email and paper documentation made with 1xBet.
The agency is also looking at the end use of the money taken by the celebrities to check if any of them can be categorised as the “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA, as per the sources.
The Union government recently passed a legislation to ban real money online gaming in India.
The ED, during a recent national meeting of its senior officers in Jammu and Kashmir, has also decided to initiate “focused strategies” to investigate financial crimes arising from this sector linked to alleged illegal betting and gaming.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
