New Delhi, India: Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma, along with actors Huma Qureshi and Hina Khan, has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Mahadev gaming app case. While none of the three are accused in the case, they have been asked to appear at the ED’s Raipur office on separate dates.
The ED aims to record their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate the mode and flow of payments they received from the app’s promoters.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor, who endorsed the app in commercials, was also summoned recently by the financial probe agency. The ED alleges that he received a substantial sum of money linked to the proceeds of a crime.
The Mahadev Online Book App, at the center of this controversy, is accused of facilitating illegal betting websites, enrolling users, creating user IDs, and laundering money through a complex network of benami bank accounts.
Promoters of Gaming App Amassed ₹200 Crore Daily
The ED’s investigation has exposed a shadowy world of online betting, with Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, both based in Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai, emerging as key figures. Chandrakar, who once ran a juice shop, and Uppal, who had a tire shop, joined forces with a sheikh and a Pakistani national in Dubai to establish the online betting app.
Their network extended beyond India to the UAE, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. The two masterminds built a network of approximately 4,000 panel operators in India, each with 200 customers placing bets. This setup allowed them to rake in a staggering ₹200 crore daily.
Chandrakar’s lavish wedding in the UAE earlier this year saw an expenditure of ₹200 crore in cash, with private jets ferrying guests from India. Wedding expenses, including payments to planners, dancers, decorators, and others, were routed through Hawala channels.
The Enforcement Directorate is now scrutinizing 14 Bollywood celebrities who were invited to perform at the wedding.
In recent raids across 39 locations in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bhopal, investigators seized assets worth ₹417 crore linked to the Mahadev online betting app.
They have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to record their statements in connection with the Mahadev gaming app case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED is investigating the flow of payments allegedly made to celebrities by the app’s promoters and the mode of these payments, as well as the app’s involvement in facilitating illegal betting activities.
Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, residents of Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai, are key figures behind the app. They established a vast network of panel operators in India and amassed ₹200 crore daily through online betting activities.
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