Trouble mounts for Suresh Raina and two other players
Trouble has increased for former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan. On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized assets worth ₹11.14 crore (approximately $1.14 billion) against them in connection with the illegal betting app case. The ED found in its investigation that Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, in connivance with foreign companies, had promoted the illegal betting company 1xBet.
According to sources, Suresh Raina's mutual fund investments worth ₹6.64 crore (approximately $1.5 billion) and Shikhar Dhawan's immovable assets worth ₹4.5 crore (approximately $1.5 billion) have been seized. The ED also questioned former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa during the investigation. Actors Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela were also called in for questioning. ED officials say the cricketers promoted the app despite knowing that the 1xBet app is not legal in India.
The cricketers promoted the app despite knowing that the 1xBet app is not legal in India
Based on these FIRs, the police registered a money laundering case and began an investigation. In the initial investigation, the ED found suspicious financial transactions and documents related to foreign accounts. ED officials say
6,000 mule accounts were used to collect deposits from Indian users. The money was then laundered at multiple levels to convert it into legitimate currency. The ED stated that the pattern of money transactions indicates money laundering of more than 1,000 crore rupees, and more than 4 crore rupees have been frozen. The investigation also uncovered documents and digital evidence related to the illegal transactions. The ED has also cautioned the public in this regard.
