ED records statement of cricketer Yuvraj Singh in online betting app case
New Delhi (PTI): Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an online betting app named 1xBet, officials said.
Singh (43), wearing a white T-shirt and pant, reached the agency's office in central Delhi around 12 noon accompanied by his legal team.
The investigating officer of the case questioned the all-rounder and left-hand batter and recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said.
An influencer named Anveshi Jain also appeared before the ED for questioning in the same case.
The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan and Robin Uthappa apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation.
Actor Sonu Sood has been summoned for Wednesday by the ED in the same case.
The investigation into the operations of the 1xBet betting app is part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people of crores of rupees and reportedly evading a huge amount of direct and indirect taxes.
According to Curacao-registered 1xBet, it is a globally recognised bookmaker with 18 years in the betting industry.
The brand's customers can place bets on thousands of sporting events, with the company's website and app available in 70 languages, as per the company information available on its website.
Some more sportspersons, movie actors, online influencers and celebrities are expected to be questioned by the agency in the coming days as part of this probe.
The ED may also soon initiate the process to attach assets of individuals in this case who are found using the alleged proceeds of crime generated from the promotional activities of the app. A chargesheet will be filed subsequently before a court, as per the sources.
The agency's line of investigation, according to sources, is to know from the celebrities as to how they were contacted by the said betting company seeking their endorsement, the nodal person(s) for contact in India, the mode of payment (cash through hawala or banking channel) and place of the payment (in India or abroad), etc. The agency, while recording the statements of the cricketers and actors, is understood to be asking them if they knew that online betting and gaming was illegal in India. It has also asked them to furnish a copy of their contracts and all relevant email and paper documentation made by them with 1xBet.
The agency is also looking at the end use of the money taken by the celebrities to check if any of them can be categorised as the "proceeds of crime" under the PMLA, according to the sources.
The Union government recently banned real money online gaming in India by bringing a legislation.
The ED, during a recent national meeting of its senior officers in Jammu and Kashmir, has also decided to initiate "focused strategies" to investigate financial crimes arising from this sector linked to alleged illegal betting and gaming.
According to estimates by market analysis firms and probe agencies undertaken before the government ban, there were about 22 crore Indian users in various such online betting apps out of which half were regular users.
The online betting app market in India was estimated to be worth over USD 100 billion which was stated to be growing at the rate of 30 per cent, according to experts. The government has told Parliament that it has issued 1,524 orders from 2022 till June 2025 to block online betting and gambling platforms.
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Protest against demolition drive turns violent in Kolkata, 3 cops injured
Kolkata (PTI): A protest against the recent bulldozer action in Kolkata's Tiljala turned violent on Sunday as demonstrators hurled stones at police personnel in the minority-dominated Park Circus area, injuring at least three officials and damaging several vehicles.
The flare-up came days after bulldozers rolled into Tiljala as part of the West Bengal government's demolition drive against alleged illegal constructions following the factory fire that killed two persons earlier this week.
On Sunday afternoon, a large number of people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and attempted to block roads, police said.
As police tried to disperse, what they described as an "unlawful assembly", a section of protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, triggering chaos in the area.
Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those carrying central forces, were vandalised, officials said.
Heavy deployment of Kolkata Police and central forces was made in the area after the clashes. Route marches and intensified patrolling were undertaken in adjoining localities to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.
Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas said action has already been initiated against those involved in the violence.
"Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was pelting of stones. Three of our colleagues were injured," Biswas told reporters.
"We have already arrested a few people," he said.
The officer said police followed standard operating procedures, and efforts were underway to identify all those involved in the violence.
"There was an attack on the police. We will see who is behind it and arrest everyone. Strict legal action will be taken," he added.
While the police maintained the agitation was linked to administrative action against illegal buildings, some locals claimed that grievances over alleged restrictions on the use of loudspeakers during religious prayers and curbs on offering prayers on roads had also contributed to the tensions.
The developments come close on the heels of tension in Kolkata's Rajabazar area on Friday, where a standoff broke out after a group of people allegedly attempted to offer prayers on a public road despite restrictions on blocking traffic.
According to police sources, a large contingent of personnel reached the area and asked people to vacate the road, after which the situation turned tense briefly.
Members of the local community argued that holding Friday prayers on roads had been a long-standing practice in the locality, while the administration maintained that keeping roads clear was necessary for traffic movement and maintenance of law and order.
Police, however, did not indicate any direct connection between the Rajabazar incident and Sunday's violence in Park Circus.
Authorities also did not immediately disclose the number of persons arrested in Sunday's clashes or whether any protesters sustained injuries during the confrontation.
