The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former Trinamool Congress MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty, along with Bollywood actor Urvashi Rautela, in connection with its investigation into alleged money laundering through online betting platforms, including the controversial 1xBet.
Chakraborty has been asked to appear before the agency’s Delhi headquarters on September 15, while Rautela has been directed to depose on September 16. Their statements will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials confirmed on Saturday.
Celebrities under scanner
The fresh summons comes on the back of several high-profile interrogations in recent weeks. Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan was questioned on September 4 for nearly eight hours at the ED’s Delhi office, while his former teammate Suresh Raina appeared before the agency last month. Actor Rana Daggubati was questioned in Hyderabad in August, and earlier, actors Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Lakshmi Manchu were also summoned in connection with the case.
According to officials, investigators are examining how celebrities may have been engaged by betting platforms through endorsements and promotional campaigns. “Their depositions are expected to clarify how they were approached, how payments were structured, and whether taxes were duly paid,” an official said. The agency is particularly looking into whether endorsements lent legitimacy to platforms operating outside the legal framework.
1xBet at the centre
The ED’s probe spans multiple betting apps accused of duping investors of crores of rupees and evading taxes. Alleged violations fall under the Information Technology Act, the Foreign Exchange Management Act, and the PMLA. At the centre of the investigation is 1xBet, an online betting platform that has faced regulatory scrutiny in several countries and is suspected of laundering funds and manipulating algorithms.
Despite the emergence of subscription-based models in sports and entertainment, advertising and celebrity endorsements remain a major revenue channel for such platforms. Officials have hinted that more celebrities and sportspersons may be summoned in the coming weeks as the agency seeks to establish the full extent of financial transactions linked to 1xBet and similar operators.