According to the most recent rumours, Bollywood celebrities who are allegedly involved in the promotion of the FairPlay app—a subsidiary of Mahadev Online Book—may be called upon by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The statements made by Viacom 18 employees were recorded by the ED. Citing a First Information Report (FIR) from the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, they filed the PMLA case in January. A broadcast company lost an estimated Rs 100 crore in revenue; thus, they filed the FIR.
The report claims that in order to promote Mahadev’s betting app subsidiary, officials are currently looking over contracts with Bollywood celebrities for FairPlay promotions as well as “endorsement, payment modes, transactions, hawala, and company-related details” involving significant alleged payments to actors like Sanjay Dutt, Tamannah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, and rapper-musician Badshah.
The actors involved in the case will shortly be called by the ED to testify as prosecution witnesses. The ED found through their investigation that the promoters of the betting app bought celebrity endorsements for their app with cash from multiple shell companies.
The statements of Fernandez, Badshah, and Dutt’s handlers have been recorded by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell. After the ED started its investigation, they were informed of the comments.
The 64-year-old actor was paid Rs 25 lakhs from the account of Play Venture, a Singapore-based gaming company, for promoting FairPlay on his Instagram and other social media profiles, it was found during the investigation.
The Cyber Cell was informed by Dutt’s manager, Gaurav Dubey, that producer Bunty Walia had contacted the Khalnayak star over the FairPlay advertising deal. Walia also submitted his statement to the Cyber Cell, and once the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered, the ED was notified of it.
However, Fernandez also got paid a sizeable amount by Dubai-based Trim General LLC in exchange for supporting the application. The agency thinks the company, through its subsidiary app FairPlay, may be involved in money laundering crimes related to Mahadev’s betting empire, even though its main business is the import-export of various goods.
Funds were obtained by Badshah from Lyukos Group FZF, an Australian company. In his statement to the Cyber Cell, he talked about the transaction details and the contract. ED officers discovered throughout the investigation that the company is based in Dubai and is thought to be a shell company.
For those who don’t know, many Bollywood celebrities sponsored FairPlay, which helped it gain notoriety. Approximately 40 celebrities are reportedly being investigated for promoting the application during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023.
