The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday attached assets worth Rs 11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan.
The action is a direct result of the ED’s ongoing investigation into money laundering linked to suspected illegal betting operations by the online platform 1xBet, agencies reported, citing the official ED order.
India’s central financial crimes watchdog issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This order includes the attachment of an immovable property valued at Rs 4.5 crore owned by Shikhar Dhawan, as well as mutual fund investments worth Rs 6.64 crore in Suresh Raina’s name.
Both cricketers are alleged to have entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities for the promotion of 1xBet and its surrogate brands like 1xBat, which are under the scanner for illegal betting and money laundering activities.
According to the ED, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan “knowingly” promoted the 1xBet platform, which is registered in Curacao and claims to be a globally recognised bookmaker operating for 18 years.
The agency has stated that these transactions were traced through complex international financial channels, making it challenging to track the real source of funds.
Investigators believe the proceeds earned from these endorsements—which entered India via intricate routes—form part of the laundered assets now provisionally attached, agencies reported.
The scope of the probe extends beyond Raina and Dhawan. The ED has questioned a host of high-profile names, including former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, as well as Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, actress Urvashi Rautela, former MP Mimi Chakraborty, and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra.
These individuals, too, allegedly signed endorsement agreements with entities linked to 1xBet, prompting the agency’s scrutiny.
ED’s investigation was triggered by multiple complaints and FIRs filed by state police against the operations of offshore betting websites like 1xBet, which are not authorised to offer services in India.
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