Enforcement Directorate Summons Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi, and Hina Khan in Mahadev Betting App Case.
In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned several Bollywood celebrities, including Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, for questioning in connection with the Mahadev betting app case. This case revolves around allegations of providing a platform for illegal betting through the app.
Tu Jhoothi Mein Makkar actor Ranbir Kapoor, who had endorsed the Mahadev app through various advertisements, has requested a two-week extension to appear before the ED. Meanwhile, it remains uncertain if Shraddha Kapoor will make her appearance today.
Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma, along with actors Huma Qureshi and Hina Khan, has also received summonses from the ED in relation to the Mahadev app case. Like Ranbir and Shraddha, they have sought a two-week grace period to comply with the summons.
Notably, none of the celebrities have been named as accused in the case; instead, they are expected to be questioned regarding their knowledge of the payment mechanisms allegedly involving the app’s promoters.
What Is Mahadev Betting App Case?
The Mahadev app stands accused of being a syndicate that facilitates illegal betting websites by enrolling new users, generating user IDs, and facilitating money laundering through a complex network of benami bank accounts, according to the ED. Recent regulations have expressly prohibited such betting activities.
The ED’s investigation has unveiled that the app’s promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, hail from Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, and operate from Dubai. Allegedly, they run several similar apps, raking in approximately ₹200 crore per day. To attract new users and franchise seekers, the promoters reportedly spend large sums of cash on advertising betting websites in India.
Last month, the ED conducted raids at 39 locations in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bhopal, resulting in the seizure of assets worth ₹417 crore in connection with the Mahadev betting app case. The lavish ₹200-crore wedding of Sourabh Chandrakar in the UAE, entirely financed with cash, had earlier brought the Mahadev app under the ED’s scrutiny.
CREDITS: NDTV