SRINAGAR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 11.14 crore belonging to former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan as part of an ongoing money-laundering investigation linked to the operations of an alleged illegal online betting platform, official sources said on Thursday, as reported by NDTV.
A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued to attach Dhawan’s immovable property valued at Rs 4.5 crore and Raina’s mutual fund holdings worth Rs 6.64 crore in connection with the online betting site, 1xBet, the sources added.
The agency’s probe indicates that both cricketers “knowingly” entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities to promote 1xBet and its associated platforms. In addition to Raina and Dhawan, the ED has questioned other former cricketers, including Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, as well as actors Sonu Sood, Urvashi Rautela, Mimi Chakraborty, and Ankush Hazra as part of the investigation.
Registered in Curacao, 1xBet is reported to be a globally recognised bookmaker operating in the betting industry for 18 years. The ED is examining the role of celebrity endorsements in facilitating illegal betting operations and potential money-laundering activities.
