The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into the Mahadev betting app scam, calling in four more Bollywood celebrities for questioning. The most recent to be summoned are actress Shraddha Kapoor, comedian Kapil Sharma and actors Huma Qureshi and Hina Khan.
The Mahadev betting app, allegedly overseen by Dubai-based Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, is believed to have facilitated illicit wagers on various online games. The ongoing investigation focuses on the app’s role in potential money laundering.
Shraddha Kapoor, the latest in the series of summonses, has been directed to appear before the ED on October 8. Earlier, Ranbir Kapoor was summoned and questioned to discern his awareness regarding the case, particularly to determine his understanding of the funds he might have received from endorsing the app. Following Ranbir Kapoor, other celebrities like Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi, and Hina Khan were called in for a similar purpose.
As per an X post by news agency ANI, “ED has summoned comedian Kapil Sharma and actor Huma Qureshi in connection with the Mahadev betting app case.” Actress Hina Khan’s name was also mentioned in connection with the case by News18.
It’s anticipated that this list might grow longer, with many more from the entertainment industry possibly being brought in for questioning. Several of these celebrities, including Shraddha Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, and Sonakshi Sinha, are believed to be connected to the case due to their association with events hosted by the company’s chief, Sourabh Chandrakar.
Previously, media reports noted that Ranbir Kapoor was called in to understand his knowledge of the case and to establish whether he knew anything about the source of the money he received from promoting the Mahadev app.
A report of News18 claimed that the agency also asked the actor to appear at their office in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on October 6.
“Ranbir Kapoor has been summoned to understand the betting business transactions. At this point, he has not been summoned as accused. His questioning is important to know his knowledge about the money sources he received. It will possibly indicate the plans of the promoters and their association,” an ED source close to the development was quoted in the News18 report.
The source also said, “Ranbir Kapoor may not be part of a conspiracy but [it is] very important to understand the scam.”
Earlier last month, the ED froze and seized assets worth INR 417 Cr in connection with the Mahadev app after conducting searches at multiple locations in Mumbai, Bhopal and Kolkata.
The ED’s investigation revealed that Mahadev app was being run from Dubai and used an online book betting application to enrol new users and launder money through a layer of benami bank accounts.
The app’s two promoters, Chandrakar and Uppal, had a juice and tyre shop respectively in Bhilai a few years ago. According to an NDTV report, the duo set up Mahadev app from the UAE after meeting up with a sheikh and a Pakistani national, both of who remain thus unnamed.
The duo is said to have made up to INR 200 Cr per day over the course of the operation of the scam, which was laundering money via a network of thousands of benami accounts.
It was Chandrakar’s INR 200 Cr wedding in the UAE that first put the spotlight on the ongoing scam, as now several Bollywood celebrities are being interrogated for their alleged connections to the scam.
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