Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor. File
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU
Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor on Wednesday was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly endorsing an online gaming and betting mobile application Mahadev.
The actor has been summoned by the central agency to appear before its Mumbai office on October 6.
According to ED, “Mahadev Online Book Betting App is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs and launder money through a layered web of benami bank accounts.” On September 15, the ED seized ₹417 crore after carrying out searches in Kolkata, Bhopal, and Mumbai.
According to the ED, Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, who hail from Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai, are the main promoters of Mahadev Online Book and are running their operations from Dubai. The ED’s case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is based on the First Information Reports registered by Chhattisgarh Police. Apart from Mr. Kapoor, close to 20 celebrities are reported to be under the ED’s scanner.