ED To Summon Bollywood Celebrities Allegedly Involved In Promotions Of Mahadev Subsidiary App FairPlay- Read REPORTS
Bollywood celebrities will reportedly be summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that are connected with the promotions of the FairPlay application
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A recent report by the Free Press Journal states that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will reportedly be summoning Bollywood celebrities who are allegedly connected with the promotions of the FairPlay application, a subsidiary app of Mahadev Online Book. ED recorded the statements of Viacom18 officials. They initiated the PMLA case in January, based on a First Information Report (FIR) from the Maharashtra Cyber Cell. The FIR was filed by a broadcast company after they reportedly lost a staggering revenue of Rs 100 crores.
According to the report, the officials are currently scrutinising the contracts with Bollywood celebrities for FairPlay promotions and “endorsement, payment modes, transactions, hawala, and company-related details” involving substantial alleged payments to actors like Sanjay Dutt, Jacqueliene Fernandez, Tamannah Bhatia, and rapper-musician Badshah to promote the subsidiary app of Mahadev betting app.
The ED is planning to summon the actors involved in the case soon to record their statements as a prosecution witness. In their investigation, the ED found out that the promoters linked with the betting app used various funds from various shell companies to pay the celebrities for endorsing their application. The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has recorded statements of Badshah, and the managers of Dutt as well as Fernandez. The statements were shared with the ED after they initiated their investigation.
It was revealed during the investigation that the 64-year-old actor had received a sum of Rs 25 lakhs from the account of Play Venture, a Singapore-based gaming company for the endorsement of FairPlay in his Instagram handle and other social media pages. Dutt’s manager, Gaurav Dubey, in his statement to the Cyber Cell, stated that producer Bunty Walia had approached the Khalnayak actor regarding the FairPlay promotion deal. Walia too has recorded his statement with the Cyber Cell, which was then shared with the ED after they registered the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).
On the other hand, Fernandez has also received a significant sum from Dubai-based Trim General LLC for endorsing the application. While the company is primarily involved in the import-export of various products, the agency believes that it may be a front for money laundering activities related to the betting business empire of Mahadev subsidiary app FairPlay. Badshah received money from an Australian company Lyukos Group FZF. In his statement to the Cyber Cell, he mentioned the contract and transaction details. During the investigation, ED’s official sources stated that the company is based in Dubai and is suspected to be a shell company.
For the unversed, FairPlay gained attention due to endorsements by many Bollywood celebrities. As per the FPJ report, over 40 celebrities are under scrutiny for promoting the application during the Indian Premiere League (IPL) in 2023.
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