ED attaches ₹7.93 crore assets of Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa in money-laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday, December 19, said it has attached assets worth ₹7.93 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty, and actor Sonu Sood as part of its money-laundering investigation into the illegal betting app 1xBet.

Others whose properties have been attached include model Neha Sharma, Bengali actor Ankush Hazra, and Meera Rautela, the mother of actor and 1xBet India ambassador Urvashi Rautela. The federal probe agency also issued a warning to celebrities and social media influencers, stating that endorsing or promoting illegal betting or gambling platforms, including through surrogate advertisements, is a punishable offence.

According to Hindustan Times, the total value of properties attached under the latest provisional attachment order issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) includes assets worth approximately ₹1 crore belonging to Sonu Sood, ₹59 lakh of Mimi Chakraborty, ₹2.5 crore linked to Yuvraj Singh’s company YWC Health and Wellness Pvt Ltd, ₹1.26 crore of Neha Sharma, ₹8.26 lakh of Robin Uthappa, ₹47.20 lakh of Ankush Hazra, and ₹2.02 crore belonging to Meera Rautela.

The ED stated that it recorded the statements of all the accused celebrities over multiple hours and alleged that the attached assets represent proceeds of crime, defined under the PMLA as illicit money generated through illegal activities. The agency further claimed that these celebrities knowingly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities to promote 1xBet through surrogate platforms.

“These endorsements were made in return for payments routed through foreign entities to conceal the illicit origin of the funds, which are linked to proceeds of crime generated from illegal betting activities,” the statement read as quoted by Hindustan Times.

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According to the ED, Curaçao-based 1xBet operated in India without the requisite authorisation and relied on surrogate branding and advertisements to target Indian users through social media platforms, online videos, and print media. The agency’s investigation found that endorsement payments were routed through layered financial transactions involving foreign intermediaries in an attempt to conceal the illegal origin of the funds.

The ED stated that the money-laundering probe originated from multiple FIRs registered by various state police agencies against the operators of 1xBet. During the course of its investigation, the agency found that the offshore betting platform used a surrogate brand, 1xBat. Entities operating under the 1xBat name were allegedly involved in promoting and facilitating illegal online betting and gambling activities across India.

In a similar action taken in October, the ED had attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina as part of the same investigation. Meanwhile, the Union government has recently introduced legislation aimed at banning real-money online gaming in India.