ED summons Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Sonu Sood

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has served notices to former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa and actor Sonu Sood as part of its investigation into the controversial 1xBet betting platform. The notices were served after the agency recorded the statements of other celebrities, including cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina.

Robin Uthappa has been asked to appear before the agency officials at their Delhi office on September 22, whereas Yuvraj Singh has been asked to depose on September 23. Actor Sonu Sood has also been asked to appear on September 24.

The case involves purported money laundering violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which focuses on money transactions associated with the prohibited 1xBet platform. The investigators are keen on investigating the involvement of celebrities who promoted the betting firm, believing that their participation in advertisement campaigns can lead to the tracing of the financial trail associated with the prohibited business.

Uthappa, who retired from professional cricket in 2022, had featured in promotional videos for 1xBet previously. The ED will likely ask him about his association with the company, the contract terms, and what he was paid for the endorsements.

This probe is one of the several crackdowns launched by the ED against illegal betting Apps working in India. Authorities have accused the sites of defrauding investors and people, causing financial losses amounting to crores of rupees, and neglecting to pay taxes.

The recent summons come after a series of such actions against celebrities and influencers, including former TMC lawmaker Mimi Chakraborty, Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela, and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra, who have been summoned to assist the investigation.