ED summons Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor for ‘promoting online betting app’

According to the ED, Mahadev Online Book provides online platforms for illegal betting in different live games such as “poker” and other card games, chance games, cricket, badminton, tennis, football and others, even providing an avenue to bet on various elections in India. It also provides a facility to play several card games such as “Teen Patti”, “poker”, “Dragon Tiger” and virtual cricket games among others.

According to sources, the agency learnt about celebrities endorsing these betting entities and performing at their functions, taking hefty fees layered through dubious transactions that were ultimately paid from the proceeds of online betting.

The ED began its probe into the case earlier this year and arrested four people based out of Raipur in August — businessmen brothers Sunil and Anil Dammani, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Chandra Bhushan Verma and Satish Chandrakar.

Two main promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal who hail from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh are wanted in connection with the money laundering probe. The agency is also in the process of issuing Red Corner Notices (RCN) against Chandrakar and Uppal. A special PMLA court in Raipur has also issued non-bailable warrants against the absconding suspects to get the RCNs issued against them.

So far, the ED has conducted searches at 39 locations across Raipur, Bhopal, Mumbai and Kolkata and seized illegal assets worth Rs 417 crore.

An ED officer had earlier said, “M/s Mahadev Online Book is run from a head office in the UAE and operates by franchising ‘panels’ or branches to their known associates and small punters on 70:30 profit ratio… Large scale hawala operations are done to siphon off the proceeds of betting to off-shore accounts. Large expenditure in cash is also being done in India for advertising the betting websites and self-aggrandisement is necessary to attract new users and franchise seekers,” the officer added.

The probe agency had also said that celebrities were hired to perform at the marriage of Chandrakar in February 2023, who ran the online gambling operations from Dubai along with fellow promoter Uppal.

“In February 2023, Sourabh Chandrakar got married at RAK (Ras Al-Khaimah), UAE and for the ceremony, the promoters of Mahadev App spent around Rs 200 crore in cash. Private jets were hired to ferry family members from Nagpur to UAE, while celebrities were hired to perform at the function.

Wedding planners, dancers and decorators were hired from Mumbai and hawala channels were used to make payments in cash,” the agency had earlier said in its statement.

The ED had said it has digital evidence to show that Rs 112 crore was allegedly delivered via hawala to an event management company, M/s R-1 Events Pvt Ltd, owned by one Yogesh Popat, for Chandrakar’s wedding. Hotel bookings worth Rs 42 crore were done for the wedding by paying in cash in UAE Dirhams, it said.

The ED officials alleged that other actors and singers who attended the function may be summoned.