Mumbai
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore linked to former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in the ongoing money laundering investigation connected to the illegal betting platform 1xBet. The order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
According to the ED, assets worth ₹6.64 crore linked to mutual fund investments in the name of Suresh Raina and a property valued at ₹4.5 crore in the name of Shikhar Dhawan have been provisionally attached.
The ED said the investigation is based on FIRs filed by police agencies in different states against 1xBet operators. The probe has found that 1xBet and its surrogate brand 1xBat or 1xBat Sporting Lines ran illegal online betting operations across India.
According to investigators, both Raina and Dhawan knowingly entered endorsement contracts with foreign entities connected to these betting platforms. These endorsements were paid for through layered foreign transactions to hide the illegal origin of the money, which the ED alleges is linked to betting profits.
The agency added that 1xBet used surrogate advertising through social media, online videos, and print media to reach Indian users without any legal permission to operate in the country. The money trail shows payments were moved through intermediaries abroad to hide the real source.
The ED’s probe has also found that more than 6,000 mule bank accounts were used to collect money from Indian users. These funds were then pushed through several payment gateways without completing proper KYC. Over ₹1,000 crore is suspected to be laundered in this manner. More than 60 bank accounts have been frozen and further investigation is underway.
