Actor Ranbir Kapoor summoned by ED in Mahadev online betting app case
By Vivek Agrawal
Mumbai, 04 October, 2023
Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor faces summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding his involvement with the Mahadev online betting app. He is directed to appear before the probe agency on October 10. Kapoor had previously served as a social media influencer for the betting platform, receiving payments for promotional activities.
Celebrities Under Scrutiny
Numerous prominent celebrities, spanning Bollywood actors, singers, and comedians, are now under the ED’s scrutiny due to their involvement in the lavish wedding of Sourabh Chandrakar, a co-promoter of the online betting app, in Dubai.
These celebrities may be summoned as witnesses in the money laundering investigation linked to the platform.
The Mahadev Online Betting App Case
ED’s investigations span several cities, including Kolkata, Bhopal, and Mumbai, with a focus on alleged money laundering networks tied to the Mahadev Online Book App, an online betting platform headquartered in the UAE.
The case alleges substantial hawala operations through the platform for funneling betting proceeds into offshore accounts.
Dubious Riches Unveiled
Chandrakar and his associate Ravi Uppal, promoters of the platform, have come into immense wealth in the UAE. ED sources reveal this sudden wealth is being openly showcased.
The agency aims to trace the money trail, identifying the ultimate beneficiaries of these substantial funds, particularly in light of the extravagant Rs. 200 crore wedding expenses incurred by the platform’s promoter.
Hefty Fees to Celebrities
Investigation findings indicate that celebrities who participated in the wedding were compensated generously through questionable transactions.
The stars were allegedly paid a whopping Rs. 40 crore by the betting platform’s promoters to attend a luxurious Dubai hotel party on September 18.
The payments involved private jets, artists, and event services paid in cash via hawala channels.
ED’s Asset Seizures
Recent ED operations targeting money laundering activities linked to the platform led to the freezing or confiscation of assets totaling Rs. 417 crore.
Kolkata-based Vikash Chhaparia, responsible for handling hawala-related operations, was involved in significant stock market investments in India through the foreign portfolio investment route.
ED has frozen assets worth Rs. 236.3 crore in Chhaparia’s name and frozen ₹160 crore worth of assets in DEMAT holdings owned by Govind Kedia, his associate.
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