ED Calls These Three Celebrities Following Ranbir Kapoor's Summons

After recent reports revealed that many famous people are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the Mahadev money-laundering case, Kapil Sharma and Hina Khan have been summoned to meet with the central agency. Their names came up after actor Ranbir Kapoor was called in for questioning a day earlier. Both the comedian and the actor have received official summonses and are scheduled to appear before the ED on Friday.

According to a tweet from news agency ANI, "ED has summoned comedian Kapil Sharma and actor Huma Qureshi in connection with the Mahadev betting app case: ED Sources." Actor Hina Khan has also been called in for the same reason, as reported by News18.

Reportedly, Ranbir Kapoor was previously summoned to provide insights into the source of the money he received for promoting the betting app. A News18 report mentioned that the agency also requested the actor to appear at their office in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on October 6.

An ED source closely involved in the matter was quoted as saying, "Ranbir Kapoor has been summoned to understand the betting business transactions. At this stage, he is not being treated as an accused. His input is vital to ascertain his knowledge of the money sources he received. This could potentially shed light on the plans of the promoters and their involvement."

The report further noted, "Ranbir Kapoor may not be part of a conspiracy, but it is crucial to grasp the essence of the scam." Allegedly, Ranbir had received payments for endorsing the betting app in question. It is reported that several other celebrities and actors will also be summoned shortly for similar inquiries.

Sources within the ED have informed the news outlet that as many as 17 Bollywood celebrities are implicated in this investigation. This group includes Shraddha Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Sonakshi Sinha, and others, who were either present at or performed during the wedding of the company's head, Sourabh Chandrakar, in February earlier this year and at the company's success party in September 2022.

For the unversed, Mahadev app facilitated illegal betting on various online games such as poker, card games, chance games, badminton, tennis, football, and cricket. The app is reportedly operated by Saurabh and Ravi Uppal, who are based in Dubai. While betting is legal in Dubai, it is illegal in India.

-by Vishnupriya