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Yuvraj Singh to Urvashi Rautela: Full list of celebs summoned in betting app case
Enforcement Directorate has summoned several celebrities, including cricketers and actors, in connection with money laundering by illegal betting apps case.
The Enforcement Directorate recently issued summons to cricketer Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), linked to the illegal betting apps. ED has been widening its probe into the online platforms duping users and laundering money.
According to the agency, these apps, banned in the past, have continued to operate over the years by changing names and being promoted by celebrities. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa are just the recent names in the probe going on for months.
People summoned by ED in the illegal betting app case
Robin Uthappa- Uthappa, a right-hand batter, has been asked to appear at ED headquarters on September 22 to record his statement.
Yuvraj Singh- Along with Utthappa, ED also issued summons to Yuvraj Singh, another former cricketer. Singh has been asked to be present before the agency on September 23
Sonu Sood- Actor Sonu Sood, known for his big roles in Hindi films, has been summoned by ED in the case related to illegal betting apps.
Shikhar Dhawan- Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan was summoned by ED and questioned on September 4, in connection with the case. The 39-year-old cricketer is suspected of being linked to the illegal betting app through endorsements.
Suresh Raina- Before Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina was summoned by ED on August 13, where the probe agency grilled him for 8 hours about his alleged involvement in the case.
Mimi Chakraborty- Former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty was asked by ED to appear on September 16 in the same case.
Urvashi Rautela- Actress Urvashi Rautela was also summoned by ED in the betting app money laundering case on the same date as Mimi Chakraborty.
Lakshmi Manchu- Actor Lakshmi Manchu also appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 13. She was summoned after her name surfaced in relation to a digital platform under scrutiny for its links to online betting.
Rana Daggubati- Popular actor Rana Daggubati appeared before ED on August 11 after he failed to appear before the agency on a previous date in July.
Prakash Raj- Among the four actors named by ED to appear in the betting app case was Prakash Raj. Raj appeared before ED on 30 July and was questioned for four hours. After questioning, he told reporters that though he did the assignment in 2016, he did not take any money on moral grounds.
Vijay Deverakonda- Actor Vijay Deverakonda appeared before ED on August 6 in the same case. He later clarified his stance to the press, emphasising that he only promoted A23, a legal gaming app, not a betting platform.
Other than actors, cricketers and political personalities, ED also summoned representatives of Google and Meta in July. A statement of a representative of Google was recorded on July 28 in connection with online betting platforms, which use multiple platforms for surrogate advertisements. Meta, however, failed to show on the same date.
