The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged illegal online betting platform
Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), the ED has attached mutual fund investments of about ₹6.64 crore in Raina’s name and an immovable property of about ₹4.5 crore in Dhawan’s name.
The probe is part of a larger investigation into the operations of the betting platform 1xBet and its surrogate brands, which allegedly targeted Indian users and routed funds through complex overseas transactions.
According to ED sources, both Raina and Dhawan “knowingly” entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities promoting the illegal betting platform or its surrogates, in return for payments that were structured through layers of transactions to conceal the illicit origin of funds.
The investigation indicates that the betting platform was operating in India without proper authorization, using thousands of mule accounts and unverified payment gateways. Money collected from Indian users was allegedly routed abroad, and then back into Indian accounts disguised as endorsement or investment income.
This attachment order follows earlier questioning of both cricketers by the ED as part of the investigation. Other celebrities and former sports persons have also been summoned in related probes.
The action signals the Indian government and investigation agencies tightening their crackdown on illegal online betting and money-laundering activities tied to it. Sources say the ED is carefully examining all endorsement deals, investment trails, endorsements of betting apps, and associated financial flows.
Both Raina and Dhawan now face significant legal scrutiny; the attached assets remain under provisional order and further investigation is ongoing. As the case develops, more information may emerge about how the alleged proceeds from booking bets, investments and promotional deals were transferred and invested.
