Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning as part of a money laundering investigation. The probe is linked to an alleged illegal betting application called 1xBet. According to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Dhawan, 39, is scheduled to have his statement recorded.
Dhawan's alleged affiliation with the app through specific endorsements is what drew the ED's attention. During the interrogation, the agency's main goal is to determine the full scope of his relationship to the application.
This summons is part of a broader investigation by the ED into a number of illegal betting apps. These applications are accused of defrauding a large number of individuals and investors out of crores of rupees and evading substantial amounts of taxes.
Last month, former cricketer Suresh Raina was also questioned by the ED in connection with the same case. The ED had interrogated Raina, 38, for over eight hours, and his statement was also recorded under the PMLA. Similar to Dhawan, Raina is believed to have been linked to the 1xBet app through endorsements.
Also Read: Suresh Raina questioned by ED in 1xBet betting case
In its ongoing investigation, the ED has also questioned representatives from major tech companies, including Google and Meta. Furthermore, the agency recently conducted multi-state searches in relation to a separate investigation involving another online betting app named Parimatch.
According to data from market analysis firms and probe agencies, there are an estimated 220 million Indian users of various online betting apps, with approximately 110 million of them being regular users. Experts estimate that the online betting market in India is valued at over $100 billion and is experiencing a growth rate of 30pc.
It's worth noting that the Union government has recently passed legislation to ban real-money online gaming.
Also Read: Vijay Deverakonda appears before probe agency in betting case
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