New Delhi, Sep 16 In the 1xBet illegal betting app case, Bengali actor Ankush Hazra and former MP Mimi Chakraborty submitted their respective documents to the Enforcement Directorate here on Tuesday, said an ED source, adding that former cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa and actor Sonu Sood may be questioned later this month.
The Bengali actor and politician were asked to share personal documents and questioned in relation to the endorsements that they did for a betting app, said a source.
The case is related to alleged money laundering unearthed by the ED in the operations of the betting app 1xBet.
Advocate Shashi Kaushik, who is representing actor Ankush Hazra and ex-MP Mimi Chakraborty, said, "These are basic documents, nothing significant. These are the basic documents that everyone is supposed to carry, and they are carrying the same ones.”
“Whatever contacts they have, the authorities are trying to verify, which is not a problem. It is not an interrogation, but simply their routine way of conducting an investigation..." said Advocate Kaushik, a day after they appeared at the ED office.
The case pertains to the illegal betting app 1xBet case, in which the ED has already questioned many actors and cricketers.
Sources in the ED said that Uthappa has been asked to appear before the ED on September 22, Yuvraj Singh on September 23 and Sonu Sood on September 24.
Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan also faced ED questioning in connection with alleged money laundering tied to an "unauthorised" gaming app endorsed by him in advertisements.
The former Team India opener was summoned by the probe agency to get clarity on his advertising contract with an app named 1xBet, the official said. Dhawan reportedly faced hours of grilling after he appeared before the ED officials in the national capital.
Apart from Dhawan, former cricketer Suresh Raina was also recently questioned by the ED in the 1xBet case.
Dhawan, who owns the South Delhi Superstarz team in the Delhi Premier League, retired from all forms of cricket in August last year after a career spanning over a decade.
The 1xBet India website claims the company offers many sports betting options to its registered users. It lists games like Aviator Game Online, Cricket betting line, and Online Casino Slots and accepts bets through Telegram payments on sporting events such as football, basketball, cricket, tennis, and e-sports.
The app’s company is headquartered in Cyprus and is among the largest online casinos. The company is known to have sponsored football teams in Spain and France. Following investigations into alleged financial wrongdoings, the company was forced to withdraw services from the UK, the US, Russia, Spain and France.
The alleged controversy over Dhawan’s association with an illegal app comes close to the storm raised last year by Mahadev Satta App, which had roped in celebrities like actors Ranbir Kapoor, Boman Irani, Hina Khan and Shraddha Kapoor.
The ED launched a probe against the app after a lavish reception given by one of the founders of the gambling platform in the UAE. The investigation also blew the lid off a Rs 5,000 crore hawala racket operating in the UAE and Pakistan.
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