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The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday raided premises linked to online gaming platforms WinZO and Gamezkraft as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. A total of 11 premises were covered in the raids, including five located in Bengaluru, four in Delhi and two in Gurugram (Haryana), they said. The search action is being conducted by the Bengaluru zonal office against the two online gaming companies which own websites named WinZO app and Gamezkraft (pocket52.com), ED sources said. The two platforms could not be immediately contacted for a comment on the ED action against them. The corporate offices of the two gaming operators along with residences of their CEOs, COOs and CFOs are being covered in the action. It is alleged in the police FIRs filed by the victims that these gaming companies"manipulated" the algorithm of the app putting the gamers at disadvantage, the sources alleged. The federal probe agency suspects that the promoters "owned" crypto wallet
The Supreme Court has directed the Enforcement Directorate to trace and secure the absconding Mahadev betting app co-founder, who has fled from Dubai to an undisclosed location, saying the white-collar crime accused cannot be allowed to treat courts and probe agencies as "instruments to play around with". A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma took serious note of the accused Ravi Uppal evading the law enforcement agencies and said, "This shocks our conscience and the court has to do something about it." Uppal, who is evading law enforcement agencies in India, has reportedly fled Dubai, where he was under surveillance, to an undisclosed location forcing the UAE authorities to initiate steps for closure of his extradition proceedings. "For kingpins like him, the courts and investigating agencies are mere instruments to play around with. We have to do something about it," the bench said, asking the ED to trace and secure him. "We will dismiss his petition. Find out
Actor and model Urvashi Rautela on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to an online betting and gaming platform named 1xbet, official sources said. The 31-year-old is the India ambassador of the platform, registered in the Caribbean island of Curacao. The federal probe agency has begun recording her statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. The ED has questioned cricketers such as Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Shikhar Dhawan apart from actors Sonu Sood, Mimi Chakraborty (a former TMC MP) and Ankush Hazra (Bengali cinema) as part of this investigation over the last few weeks. Some online influencers have also been questioned. The agency is also expected to attach assets worth crores of rupees of some sportspersons and actors under the anti-money laundering law as part of the probe. The investigation into the case related to the portal 1xBet found that som
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is soon expected to attach assets worth crores of rupees of certain sportspersons and actors under the anti-money laundering law in a case linked to an online betting and gaming platform. Official sources told PTI that an investigation into the case related to a portal, '1xBet', has found that some of these celebrities utilised the endorsement fee paid to them for acquiring a variety of assets which qualified as the "proceeds of crime" under the anti-money laundering law. The federal probe agency is expected to soon issue a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these movable and immovable properties, including some located abroad in countries like the UAE. The quantification and valuation of these assets is currently underway. The properties acquired or created from the funds generated out of money laundering are categorised as proceeds of crime, and they are attached so that the persons who indulg
Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an online betting app named 1xBet, officials said. Singh (43), wearing a white T-shirt and pant, reached the agency's office in central Delhi around 12 noon accompanied by his legal team. The investigating officer of the case questioned the all-rounder and left-hand batter and recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said. An influencer named Anveshi Jain also appeared before the ED for questioning in the same case. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan and Robin Uthappa apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Actor Sonu Sood has been summoned for Wednesday by the ED in the same case. The investigation into the operations of the 1xBet betti
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa for over eight hours and recorded his statement in a money laundering case linked to online betting app 1xBet, officials said. Uthappa (39) reached the agency's office here around 11 am and left around 7:30 pm. The cricketer was questioned and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case, the officials said. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Sonu Sood have been summoned for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively by the ED in the same case. The investigation into the operations of the 1xBet betting app is part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people of crores of rupees and ...
Land, villas and flats in Dubai and bank deposits in India worth Rs 307 crore have been attached under the anti-money laundering law in an online betting and broadcasting case linked to a platform named Fairplay, the ED said on Monday. The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the Cyber wing of the Mumbai Police. The complaint was registered on the basis of a communication sent by Viacom18 Media against Fairplay and others, alleging revenue loss of more than Rs 100 crore to the former company due to violation of the Information Technology (IT) and Copyright Act. Subsequently, many other FIRs against various entities, including Fairplay and its associates, for "illegal" online betting were tagged together for investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. A provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 19 to attach land, villas and flats located in Dubai and bank deposits kept in India. These properties
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an online betting app, officials said. Uthappa (39) reached the agency's office here around 11 am. The ED will question him and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case linked to a platform named 1xBet, the officials said. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Sonu Sood have been summoned for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively by the ED in the same case. The probe pertains to the operations of the 1xBet betting app as part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees and reportedly evadin
Former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty on Monday appeared before the ED for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged illegal betting app, officials said. The statement of Chakraborty, 36, is being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case related to an "illegal" betting app named 1xBet. The ex-MP and actor is understood to be linked to the app through certain endorsements and financial transactions. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) wants to understand her links with this app during the questioning. The agency is probing multiple such cases involving illegal betting apps that are alleged to have duped numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees or have evaded a huge amount of taxes. Former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan have been questioned by the federal probe agency in this case earlier. Actor Urvashi Rautela, 31, has been asked to depose on Tuesday in this case by the ED. Rautela is 1xBet's Indian ...