The Enforcement Directorate (ED) appears to have extended a special invitation to Bollywood’s most renowned celebrities. This special invitation is to a “questioning party” at the ED’s Raipur office for the Mahadev App case. Guests include the charming Hina Khan, the funny Kapil Sharma, and the ever-entertaining Huma Qureshi.
ED is taking statements as per the Prevention of Money Laundering Act’s (PMLA) guidelines, and it is sort of like a financial whodunit. They are seeking for financial breadcrumbs while wearing their magnification glasses.
Why were Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi and Hina Khan Summoned by ED?
This summons comes after a comparable one sent to actor Ranbir Kapoor, who is well-known for his numerous app endorsements. On a different occasion, the financial investigation agency brought Kapoor in for an interview. Officials claim that Kapoor made sizable money through means outside the bounds of propriety.
Mahadev App case
The center point of this controversy is Mahadev Online Book App. It is said to be an umbrella organization that facilitates illegitimate betting websites. It is charged with signing up new users, generating user IDs, and using a convoluted web of benami bank accounts to launder money.
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Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal are the masterminds of this unlawful business. They have been recognized as significant figures in the online betting industry. Beyond overseeing efforts throughout India, their influence had also proliferated into the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan too. Surprisingly, Uppal formerly had a tire business and Chandrakar ran a juice shop before entering the field of online betting.
With their newly acquired fortune, the pair built up a sizable network of more than 4,000 panel operators in India for online betting. Each of whom oversaw about 200 bettors. This business produced astonishing daily revenue of at least 200 crore.
Chandrakar’s wedding in the UAE earlier this year reportedly cost 200 crore. With private aircraft transporting guests from India, in a grandiose display of their wealth. Hawala conduits were used to pay wedding coordinators, dancers, decorators, and others, further disguising their financial transactions.
In addition, fourteen Bollywood stars who are now being investigated by the ED performed at the wedding.
ED conducted Raids
In a separate probe, the ED raided 39 premises in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bhopal and seized assets related to the Mahadev online betting app case, totaling 417 crore. In addition, non-bailable warrants were issued against people connected to the case by a PMLA special court in Raipur. The Enforcement Directorate detained the top liaisoner of the betting syndicate as they made substantial progress in locating key participants in the money laundering operations.
As this case develops, it highlights the connection between celebrities and illegal activity. It calls attention to the importance of implementing stricter oversight measures within the entertainment industry to safeguard such incidents.
