In the list of summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the agency has now called Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor for questioning in connection with the Mahadev online betting app case. This comes after the agency summoned Ranbir Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Kapil Sharma for questioning. According to an Indian Express report, the official will inquire about the payment that the actor has received for promoting the app.
For allegedly promoting the app, the investigation agency summoned Huma Qureshi and Hina Khan. Kapil Sharma is also charged for attending the Mahadev Book app's celebration party in Dubai in September. As per a Hindustan Times report, Shraddha Kapoor has been asked to appear before the central agency on Friday, October 6.
Ranbir Kapoor Seeks 2-Week Time
On Thursday, the federal agency summoned actor Ranbir Kapoor to appear before it on Friday at its regional office in Raipur. According to PTI, Hina Khan, Kapil Sharam and Huma Qureshi have also asked to appear at the Raipur office of the agency on different dates, the officials said.
Ranbir Kapoor, meanwhile, sought two weeks time to appear before the agency in person. The Enforcement Directorate has yet to decide whether it will grant the actor two weeks’ time. As per the agency, sources said that around 14-15 other celebrities and actors are under the ED's scanner in the case and they will also be summoned soon.
ED will record the statement of the actors under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and to understand the mode and flow of payment allegedly done to them by the app promoters.
What Is Mahadev Online Betting App Case?
The Mahadev app allegedly allowed to bet illegally on an array of online games, including badminton, tennis, football, cricket, and card games.
According to PTI, the company was promoted by Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal and was being operated from Dubai. The agency stated that the app was allegedly using the online book betting application to enroll new users, create IDs and launder money through a layered web of benami bank accounts, the ED has alleged.
The company promoters belong from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh and the Mahadev online book betting application is a big syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites, PTI mentioned in the report.
ED probe into the matter so far suggests that the Mahadev Online Book App is run from a central head office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), officials were quoted as saying by PTI. The app operates by franchising "Panel/Branches" to their known associates on a 70-30 profit ratio, the agency added.
ED alleged that large-scale hawala operations were done to siphon off the proceeds of betting to offshore accounts, adding that a huge expenditure in cash has also been incurred in India for advertising of betting websites to attract new users and franchise (panel) seekers, it had said.
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