On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina in connection with its ongoing money-laundering investigation linked to the illegal betting platform 1xBet.
According to officials, a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) covers Dhawan’s immovable property valued at ₹4.5 crore and Raina’s mutual fund investments worth ₹6.64 crore.
Alleged links to illegal betting promotions
The ED’s probe found that both cricketers had “knowingly” entered endorsement agreements with entities promoting 1xBet and its surrogate brands, platforms accused of facilitating illegal online betting operations in India.
The agency alleged that these deals helped promote offshore entities not permitted to operate in the country.
Other celebrities under ED scanner
This action is part of a broader crackdown on 1xBet’s Indian network. The ED has also questioned several high-profile figures, including former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actors Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela, former TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty, and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra, over their promotional links with the betting brand.
