Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Mahadev online betting app case. Kapoor has been directed to appear before the probe agency on October 10. This development comes as several high-profile celebrities, including Bollywood actors, singers, and comedians, have come under the ED’s scanner for their involvement in the lavish wedding of Sourabh Chandrakar, a co-promoter of the online betting app, in Dubai. The probe agency is investigating the money laundering aspect of this platform.
The ED initiated searches in various cities, including Kolkata, Bhopal, and Mumbai, concerning alleged money laundering networks associated with the Mahadev Online Betting App, a betting platform headquartered in the UAE. The case revolves around suspicions of large-scale hawala operations being conducted through the platform to funnel betting proceeds into offshore accounts.
Chandrakar and the other promoter of the platform, Ravi Uppal, are alleged to have amassed substantial wealth in the UAE, which is now under scrutiny. The ED is attempting to trace the money trail to identify the ultimate beneficiaries of these funds.
During its investigation, the ED uncovered that celebrities who participated in the wedding were paid substantial fees through questionable transactions. Reportedly, these stars received ₹40 crore from the platform’s promoters for attending a party at a luxurious seven-star hotel in Dubai scheduled for September 18 of this year. Private jets were chartered to transport wedding party members from Nagpur to the UAE, and celebrities were engaged to perform at the wedding. Payments were made in cash through hawala channels, and various event-related services were procured from Mumbai.
In recent actions related to the money laundering activities associated with the platform, the ED has seized or frozen assets worth ₹417 crore. Vikash Chhaparia, based in Kolkata, was responsible for handling the platform’s hawala operations and had invested significantly in India’s stock market with the assistance of his associate, Govind Kedia. ED has frozen cash derivatives and other security holdings valued at ₹236.3 crore in entities beneficially owned by Chhaparia. Additionally, Kedia’s DEMAT holdings worth ₹160 crore have been frozen.
The summoning of Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor by the ED in connection with the Mahadev online betting app case underscores the widening investigation into the alleged money laundering activities surrounding the platform. As the probe continues, the agency seeks to unearth the intricate financial transactions and flows of wealth that have raised suspicions about the platform’s operations and the individuals involved.