Shikhar Dhawan in serious legal trouble!! Summoned by Enforcement Directorate

Former Team India batter Shikhar Dhawan was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday for questioning in a money laundering investigation linked to an illegal online betting app. The probe involves allegations that the platform used surrogate advertisements to collect funds from users.

Suresh Raina was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate last month in connection with the same money laundering probe. Actor Rana Daggubati had also appeared before the agency in Hyderabad in July. Raina’s statements were recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Shikhar Dhawan Summoned by Enforcement Directorate on Thursday

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Shikhar Dhawan for questioning in a money laundering probe connected to the illegal online betting platform 1xBet.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

The 39-year-old cricketer is reported to have promoted the app through social media endorsements, leading the ED to investigate the extent of his involvement in these promotional activities.

As part of the investigation, Dhawan’s statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency is probing several cases involving illegal betting apps, including 1xBet, which are accused of defrauding investors of crores of rupees and evading significant taxes.

Shikhar Dhawan’s Illustrious Career for Team India

Shikhar Dhawan enjoyed a remarkable international career for India, scoring over 10,000 runs across formats. The left-handed batter featured in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is.

He scored 2,315 runs in Tests, 6,793 in ODIs, and 1,759 in T20Is. Dhawan recorded seven centuries and five fifties in Tests, 17 hundreds and 39 half-centuries in ODIs, and 11 T20I fifties, with a highest score of 92.

In the later stages of his career, Dhawan moved down the pecking order as emerging players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad came into the team. He last played a T20I match against Sri Lanka in July 2021. The southpaw played his last ODI against Bangladesh in 2022.

Enforcement Directorate Probes Social Media and App-Based Platforms

The Enforcement Directorate is investigating platforms linked to illegal betting and gambling, including those promoted through social media and app stores.

In 2023, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued multiple advisories directing newspapers, TV channels, online news publishers, digital ad intermediaries, and social media platforms not to promote online betting services.

However, several celebrities from the entertainment and sports sectors continued endorsing such platforms, drawing the attention of the ED, which may summon them for questioning.

“These platforms violate multiple laws and directions by the Indian government, including tax evasion, money laundering, and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), as money is transferred out of the country illegally. It is estimated that around 220 million Indian users are engaged on betting apps, and 110 million of these are regular users,” said the officer.

Also read: Haider Ali Rape Case- UK Courts arrive at a sentence for Pakistan cricketer