The Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned actor Shraddha Kapoor in connection with the Mahadev betting app scam case. She will appear before the agency on Friday. Shraddha Kapoor is accused of promoting the illegal app and the financial probe agency suspects that the payments she received were proceeds of crime.

On October 5, the Enforcement Directorate summoned Bollywood Actor Ranbir Kapoor as part of its investigation into the Mahadev betting app scam. The Barfi actor was also accused of promoting the 'illegal' betting app and is alleged to have accepted payments, which the ED is treating as proceeds of crime.

Ranbir was supposed to appear before the agency on October 6 at its regional office in Raipur. However, he reportedly sought two weeks time to appear before the Enforcement Directorate.

The Enforcement Directorate also summoned comedian Kapil Sharma, actors Huma Qureshi and Hina Khan for questioning on different dates in connection with its money laundering probe linked to the Mahadev betting app case, officials said on Thursday this week. The three actors latest to be summoned have been asked to appear at the Raipur office of the agency on different dates, the officials said.

They are understood to have promoted the Mahadev app and some had entertained guests at a wedding of a promoter of the app (application) that was held abroad. After Kapoor was asked to appear, sources had said Wednesday that around 14-15 other celebrities and actors are under the ED's scanner in the case and they will also be summoned soon, sources told news agency PTI.

About the Mahadev app scam case

The ED alleged that the company promoted by Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal was being operated from Dubai. It was allegedly using the online book betting application to enrol new users, create IDs and launder money through a layered web of benami bank accounts, the agency said.

The ED investigation showed that the Mahadev Online Book App is run from a central head office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), officials said. It operates by franchising "Panel/Branches" to their known associates on a 70-30 profit ratio, the agency had said.

Large-scale hawala operations are done to siphon off the proceeds of betting to offshore accounts, it had said. A huge expenditure in cash has also been incurred in India for advertising betting websites to attract new users and franchise (panel) seekers, it had said.

The company promoters hail from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh and the Mahadev online book betting application is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites.

(With inputs from agencies)

First Published:Oct 6, 2023 7:21 AM IST