In Shorts
- Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached assets worth around Rs 7.93 crore linked to celebrities in a money-laundering and betting probe.
- Former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa along with actors like Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela are among those affected.
- The action targets illegal online betting platform 1xBet and follows prior seizures in the same investigation.
In a significant escalation of its ongoing probe into illegal offshore betting activities, India’s Enforcement Directorate has provisionally seized both movable and immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 7.93 crore from a range of well-known public figures. This latest action is part of a broader investigation targeting the offshore betting platform 1xBet and purported surrogate operations tied to it under money-laundering laws.
The attached assets include stakes linked to former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, demonstrating the widening scope of the federal agency’s scrutiny. Alongside these sporting icons, several film personalities and public figures have also seen properties and holdings frozen under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Among the names affected are actors Sonu Sood, Neha Sharma and Urvashi Rautela, as well as former parliamentarian Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra. The total value of assets attached includes a variety of holdings spanning real estate and corporate interests.
Officials from the probe agency say that this action follows earlier seizures in the same matter, which had previously resulted in attached assets worth over Rs 11 crore linked to other former cricketers. The cumulative value of attached properties in the case has now crossed a significant threshold, underscoring the intensity of the ongoing investigation.
According to enforcement sources, the offshore betting enterprise at the center of the case was operating without necessary licensing and had been using a network of bank accounts to move and layer funds through multiple financial transactions. These operations are alleged to constitute proceeds of crime arising from unlawful online betting and gambling activities.
The ED statements indicate that many of those linked to the attached assets had provided statements to investigators over extended questioning sessions. While authorities have not yet filed formal charges publicly, the provisional attachments signal possible deeper legal challenges ahead for the individuals involved as the probe continues to unfold.
This latest move from the Enforcement Directorate highlights growing governmental focus on curbing illegal betting networks and associated financial crimes. Law enforcement officials have reiterated that promoting or endorsing unlicensed betting platforms can attract legal consequences, and have called on public figures to exercise caution in commercial partnerships.
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