New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in connection with a money-laundering probe involving the alleged illegal betting platform 1xBet.
According to sources quoted by news agency ANI, the attachment order, issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, covers mutual fund investments of ₹6.64 crore in the name of Raina and an immovable property valued at ₹4.5 crore owned by Dhawan.
The ED’s investigation has found that both cricketers allegedly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities to promote 1xBet and its surrogate platforms in India. Officials said the two knowingly accepted payments routed through overseas intermediaries in an attempt to obscure the illicit origin of the funds.
According to officials quoted by ANI, 1xBet, which is not authorised to operate in India, used surrogate advertising and brand collaborations to reach Indian audiences. The platform allegedly deployed aggressive marketing tactics across social media, online streaming platforms, and print media, targeting sports enthusiasts and bettors.
“Payments for endorsements were structured through layered transactions using foreign intermediaries to disguise the illegal source of funds,” an official familiar with the case said to ANI.
