ED attaches assets worth INR 11 crore of Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan in illegal betting app case

Months after questioning several former Indian cricketers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has announced the attachment of movable and immovable assets worth approximately INR 11 crore belonging to Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the online betting platform 1xBet.

According to ED officials, the attachment includes mutual fund investments worth around INR 6.64 crore held in the name of Raina and an immovable property valued at INR 4.5 crore registered under Dhawan’s name. The development follows a series of statements recorded by the ED in September, when the agency questioned Raina, Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, and Robin Uthappa regarding their alleged associations.

An ED spokesperson stated that the agency’s investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is based on multiple FIRs filed by police across several states against the operators of the illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet. The probe further revealed that Raina and Dhawan had knowingly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities to promote 1xBet through surrogate arrangements.

“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 spokesperson said as quoted by The Indian Express.

“Probe has revealed that 1xBet and its surrogate brand 1xBat, 1xbat Sporting lines were engaged in promoting and facilitating illegal online betting and gambling operations across India,” the spokesperson added.

The investigation also revealed that 1xBet operated in India without proper authorisation, using surrogate branding and advertisements to target Indian audiences through social media platforms, online videos, and print media campaigns.

“Payments for endorsements were structured through layered transactions using foreign intermediaries to disguise the illegal source of funds. The attachment follows ED’s search operations under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA),” the spokesperson said.

In addition to former Indian cricketers, the ED also summoned and recorded the statements of actor Sonu Sood, former TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty, Bollywood actor Urvashi Rautela, and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra as part of the ongoing investigation.