Actor and model Urvashi Rautela was also present in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in relation to a money laundering investigation involving the 1xBet online betting and gaming platform. Her statement is being documented at the agency as per the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), sources said. Rautela, the Indian ambassador of the Caribbean-based platform, was called back earlier this month in the ongoing investigation.
The ED has been interviewing some of the high-profile individuals in the broader probe into the unlawful online betting sites, which are said to raise money among people using several avenues and market themselves through proxy adverts. Social media and app stores that contain these advertisements are also being looked at. Currently, tech companies, Google and Meta representatives included, have been under scrutiny, regarding the fact that they are accepting payments to promote these platforms.
Celebrities are also being interviewed on their association with the betting apps, how much they were paid to endorse the apps, and how they were in touch with the platform. The ED has previously called cricketers like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh. Other celebrities, such as actors Sonu Sood, Ankush Hazra, and Mimi Chakraborty, a former TMC MP, have also been questioned.
The investigation has also found that certain celebrities made use of their endorsement funds to purchase high-value items, which can be regarded as the proceeds of crime as defined in anti-money laundering laws. As a result, the ED is likely to seize such assets purportedly worth crores of rupees of both sportspersons and actors.
The appearance of Urvashi Rautela can be seen as the recent twist of the high-profile investigation of ED, as the agency stepped up its attempts to trace the trail of illegal gambling money laundering through illegal betting sites. Regulators are still investigating the presence of endorsers and intermediaries in order to identify the extent of money laundering that was associated with 1xBet.
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