On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summonses to comedian Kapil Sharma and actors Huma Qureshi and Hina Khan in relation to the Mahadev betting app case. This underscores the expanding scope of the betting case, with more Bollywood celebrities being drawn into its investigation. After Rabir Kapoor, ED also issued summons to Shradha Kapoor.
As per insider information, a total of 17 Bollywood celebrities are slated to receive summonses from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Actor Ranbir Kapoor was one of the individuals who was issued a summons, with a scheduled appearance date of October 6. However, the actor has requested a postponement. The actor was not summoned as a suspect but rather to provide insights into his understanding of the source of funds he received for promoting the betting app.
As per information provided by the investigating agency in mid-September, the Mahadev online book betting app is identified as an overarching syndicate that facilitates the operation of illicit betting websites. It accomplishes this by allowing these websites to register new users, establish user IDs, and engage in the illicit movement of funds through a complex network of concealed bank accounts.
Furthermore, it has been uncovered that the founders of the Mahadev app are also looking at the operation of four to five similar applications, all of which are being run from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These apps are reported to be generating substantial daily profits, amounting to crores of rupees.
In a concerning revelation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has pointed out that extensive hawala operations are being employed to funnel the earnings from the betting activities into offshore accounts. This indicates a sophisticated financial manoeuvring scheme that raised significant concerns regarding the scale and intricacy of illegal betting activities associated with these apps.
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