Ranbir Kapoor summoned for questioning in connection with controversial gaming app

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor is set to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Friday as part of an ongoing investigation involving a gaming app. The actor has been featured in various advertisements endorsing the app, and authorities claim that he received a substantial sum of money, suspected to be proceeds from illegal activities, in exchange for his endorsements.

The app in question, the Mahadev Online Book App, has become the focal point of controversy. The Enforcement Directorate alleges that it operates as an umbrella syndicate, facilitating illegal betting websites by enrolling new users, generating user IDs, and facilitating money laundering through a complex network of benami (anonymous) bank accounts.

In light of recent regulatory changes governing online gaming, the government has explicitly prohibited games that involve betting and wagering.

This investigation also extends to approximately a dozen other celebrities and actors, all of whom are expected to be summoned by the agency in the near future.

Just last month, the Enforcement Directorate, known for its investigations into financial fraud, seized assets worth ₹417 crore in connection with this online betting case.

The promoters of the Mahadev App, originally from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, were allegedly operating four to five similar apps, collectively raking in a daily profit of around ₹200 crore, as per the agency's findings.

Remarkably, the gaming app is orchestrated from a central headquarters in the UAE, with call centres also established in Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Moreover, the investigation has revealed that substantial cash expenditures are being made in India for the advertising of betting websites, aimed at attracting new users and franchise seekers.