The Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth over ₹11 crore belonging to cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in a money laundering case linked to an illegal betting platform.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth more than ₹11 crore of former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan. This action is part of an investigation into an illegal offshore betting racket. The attachments were made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The probe focuses on the 1xBet betting platform and its affiliated brands, 1xBat and 1xBat Sporting Lines.
According to reports, the allegations state that both cricketers signed promotional agreements with businesses linked to 1xBet. This platform is banned in India for online betting. The ED alleges that money from these deals was sent through numerous foreign intermediaries to hide its true source. This created a series of layered transactions that appeared lawful on paper.
As per the temporary attachment order, the ED seized mutual fund investments worth ₹6.64 crore linked to Suresh Raina. It also attached an immovable property valued at ₹4.5 crore owned by Shikhar Dhawan. Officials mentioned that the cricketers had “knowingly” promoted the betting platform while aware of its illegal operations in India.
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Wider Investigation In The Out
The inquiry has uncovered involvement from other famous names in sports and entertainment. Those now under investigation include Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, and actors Sonu Sood, Urvashi Rautela, Mimi Chakraborty, and Ankush Hazra, among others. Reports indicate that the ED’s interrogation of this group focused on the financial aspects of their deals and their knowledge of the illegal operations behind the endorsements.
The illegal betting network is under scrutiny for laundering over ₹1,000 crore. The ED revealed that the scheme involved numerous covert accounts used to collect deposits from Indian bettors. Money was allegedly routed through unconfirmed payment gateways and foreign companies before being brought back to India as “clean” money.
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Recent raids on four payment gateways led to the freezing of over ₹4 crore and 60 bank accounts. Digital evidence related to suspicious transactions was also seized. The federal agency believes that the 1xBet network, headquartered in Curacao, heavily used surrogate promotions and influencer endorsements to expand its reach in India despite betting being legally prohibited.
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