Of late, as many as 34 Bollywood celebrities, including actors, singers and dancers, are under the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) due to their possible involvement in the Mahadev betting scam case. Republic TV released the list of prominent names on Friday, shedding light on this ongoing scandal.
An investigation was launched after Ranbir Kapoor was summoned
Mahadev Online Book App made headlines when actor Ranbir Kapoor, who featured in the advertisement, was summoned for questioning by the law enforcement agency. Subsequently, four other celebrities namely Shraddha Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi and Heena Khan also faced ED queries. These developments came as the ED continued its probe into the Mahadev betting scam.
The presence of celebrities at an extravagant wedding causes a stir
The ED probe revealed that scores of Bollywood celebrities, including actors, singers and dancers, attended the lavish Rs 200-crore wedding ceremony of Saurabh Chandrakar, the accused owner of the Mahadev betting app. This lavish event took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2023. Notable participants included Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Asgar, Vishal Dadlani, Tiger Shroff, Elli AvrRam, Bharti Singh, Sunny Leone, Bhagyashree, Kriti Kharbanda, Neha Kakkar, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Krushna Abhishek.
ED allegations of illegal funds
The Enforcement Directorate alleges that Bollywood celebrities in attendance received significant payments for their endorsement activities, with these funds reportedly coming from proceeds of criminal activity. This revelation has further boosted the ED’s investigation into the multi-crore scam. The ED’s extensive investigation has identified Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal as prime suspects in the Mahadev betting scam. Both the people hail from Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai and are the owners of the Mahadev Online Book Betting application. This platform allegedly acts as an umbrella syndicate and facilitates illegal betting websites.
Significantly, the law enforcement agency conducted searches at 39 locations in Raipur, Bhopal, Mumbai and Kolkata, all linked to betting app Mahadev. As part of these operations, the agency successfully seized a significant amount of assets including gold bars, jewelry and cash, totaling Rs 417 crore.
A cash-rich wedding triggers scrutiny
The Mahadev Online Book app initially came under the ED’s scanner due to a lavish Rs 200-crore wedding that took place in the UAE in February. What caught the attention of the authorities was the fact that all expenses for this extravagant event were in cash. Sourabh Chandrakar, a promoter of the online betting platform, tied the knot in Ras Al-Khaimah. Private jets were reportedly chartered to ferry family members and Bollywood celebrities who graced the occasion with their appearances.
Money laundering and hawala channels
In September, the ED publicly disclosed details of its probe into the online money laundering case involving betting app Mahadev Online Book. The agency’s investigation found that wedding planners, dancers, decorators and other service providers were from Mumbai and hawala channels were used to facilitate cash payments. In a statement, the law enforcement agency noted, “Sudden and illicit wealth is being openly displayed by them,” news agency ANI reported.
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