The ED attached assets worth ₹6.64 crore mutual fund of Suresh Raina and worth ₹4.5 crore assets of Shikhar Dhawan in the case against the online betting site named 1xBet.
The ED has attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to Raina and Dhawan s part of the money-laundering probe linked to the operations of an alleged illegal betting site.
Shikhar Dhawan
He born on 5 December 1985 is an Indian former cricketer who played as an opening batter. He was a regular member of the Indian team in limited-overs formats for over a decade and represented Delhi in domestic cricket.
Suresh Raina
He born on 27 November 1986 is an Indian former international cricketer. He occasionally served as stand-in captain for the Indian men’s national cricket team as well as in IPL for Chennai Super Kings during the absence of the main captain, MS Dhoni. He played for Uttar Pradesh (UP) in domestic cricket circuit
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable and immovable assets belonging to Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in connection with a money laundering case linked an online betting platform.
Months after questioning former Indian cricketers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said Thursday that it has attached movable and immovable assets worth approximately Rs 11.15 crore belonging to Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in connection with a money laundering case linked to 1xBet, an online betting platform.
The attachment includes mutual fund investments worth approximately Rs 6.64 crore held in the name of Raina, as well as an immovable property valued at Rs 4.5 crore in the name of Dhawan, according to ED officials.
In September, ED recorded the statements of Dhawan, Raina, Yuvraj Singh, and Robin Uthappa in the case.
An ED spokesperson said in a statement that the agency’s investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is based on multiple FIRs registered by the police in several states against the operators of the illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet.
The investigation also revealed that Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan knowingly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities for the promotion of 1xBet through their surrogates. “These endorsements were made in return for payments routed through foreign entities to conceal the illicit origin of the funds, which are linked to proceeds of crime generated from illegal betting activities,” the spokesperson said.
“Probe has revealed that 1xBet and its surrogate brand 1xBat, 1xbat Sporting lines were engaged in promoting and facilitating illegal online betting and gambling operations across India,” the spokesperson added.
1xBet operated in India without authorisation and used surrogate branding and advertisements to target Indian users through social media, online videos, and print media, the investigation also shows.