Actor Ranbir Kapoor has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a case involving an online gaming app. He has been asked to appear before the agency on Friday. Here are key points regarding this developing story:
1. Ranbir Kapoor was featured in promotional activities for the Mahadev Online Book App. The ED alleges that he received a significant amount of money in exchange, which is suspected to be proceeds from a criminal activity.
2. The agency has revealed that 12 other actors from Bollywood and Tollywood are also under their radar. Additionally, around 100 influencers are being investigated, and they may also be summoned as part of the ongoing probe.
3. The app’s promoters, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, are originally from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, but the app was operated from the company’s headquarters in the UAE. It has call centers in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the UAE.
4. According to the ED, the Mahadev app is part of a larger network that facilitates illegal betting websites, enabling them to sign up new users, generate user IDs, and launder money through a complex web of benami bank accounts.
5. An ED official stated that the promoters are involved in running 4-5 similar apps, which generate daily profits of approximately Rs 200 crore.
6. In recent searches conducted by the agency in Kolkata, Bhopal, Mumbai, and other locations, incriminating evidence was found regarding the money-laundering networks associated with the Mahadev app. The ED also froze or seized proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 417 crore.
7. Last month, the agency issued a statement mentioning that Chandrakar and Uppal have created an illegal empire in the UAE and were openly flaunting their ill-gotten wealth.
8. Chandrakar’s wedding took place in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, in February, and an extravagant amount of Rs 200 crore in cash was spent on the event. Private jets were hired to transport family members from Nagpur to the UAE, and celebrities were paid to perform at the wedding.
9. The ED’s statement also revealed that Rs 112 crore was transferred through hawala channels to an event management company called M/s R-1 Events Pvt Ltd, and Rs 42 crore was paid in cash for hotel bookings.
10. It is yet to be confirmed whether Ranbir Kapoor will personally visit the ED office on Friday or send a representative to respond to the summons.
Note: The article has been rewritten to fit within the maximum token limit.