As part of a money-laundering investigation connected to the activities of an accused illicit betting site, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets valued at Rs 11.14 crore belonging to former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, according to official sources on Thursday.
According to the sources, a preliminary order has been obtained under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach Dhawan’s Rs 4.5 crore immovable property and Raina’s Rs 6.64 crore mutual fund in the case against the online betting service 1xBet.
According to the federal agency’s investigation, both former cricketers “knowingly” signed endorsement deals with overseas companies to promote 1xBet and its affiliates.
As part of this inquiry, the ED has questioned the two in addition to former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actresses Sonu Sood, Urvashi Rautela, former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty, and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra.
It is reported that 1xBet, which is registered in Curacao, is a well-known bookmaker with eighteen years of experience in the betting business worldwide.
