Latest news with #EnforcementDirectorate
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Chaitanya Baghel handled ₹ 1,000 cr liquor case funds, used ₹ 16.7 cr in biz: ED
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Monday that Chaitanya Baghel, son of senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, 'handled' over ₹1,000 crore worth of 'proceeds of crime' and used ₹16.7 crore in his realty business when his father was Chhattisgarh chief minister between 2019 and 2022. Raipur: Security personnel and others escort Chaitanya Baghel, in yellow, son of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Raipur. (PTI FILE PHOTO) Chaitanya was arrested on July 18 from his residence in Bhilai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is currently being interrogated by ED at its Raipur office. He was remanded in ED custody for five days and is due to be produced before the judge on Tuesday. 'Investigation revealed that Chaitanya Baghel was in receipt of proceeds of crime worth ₹16.70 crore. He had used his real estate firms to intermingle the said funds. It was found that he had utilised the said cash amount (proceeds of crime) in development of his real estate project,' the agency said in a statement on Monday. It alleged that the use of proceeds was designed by way of payment in cash to contractors of Chaitanya Bhaghel's project, and bank entries against cash, among other methods. Baghel. The statement said Chaitanya colluded with a local businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon and utilised his companies to devise a scheme under which he indirectly received ₹5 crore in the guise of purchase of flats in his 'Vitthalpuram Project' in the name of employees of Dhillon. 'There is a banking trail which indicates that during the relevant period of transactions, Trilok Singh Dhillon received payments from the liquor syndicate in his bank accounts,' ED added. The statement further said that Chaitanya Baghel 'handled more than ₹1,000 crore worth of proceeds of crime' generated out of the liquor sale irregularities. 'He used to coordinate with Anwar Dhebar (the elder brother of Raipur mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar) and others for transfer of proceeds of crime to the then treasurer of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee. Investigation conducted by ED has revealed that funds from this liquor scam were also handed over to key associates of Baghel family for further investments. The end utilisation of this fund is being probed further', ED said. The alleged liquor scam in the state, according to officials, involved the illegal sale of approximately unaccounted and duty-evaded liquor worth ₹2,174 crore through state-run liquor outlets, under the protection and coordination of senior excise officials. The ED claimed that alleged irregularities resulted in a massive loss to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liquor syndicate with over ₹2,100 crore. The alleged irregularities, according to the ED, were orchestrated between 2019 and 2022 when Chhattisgarh was governed by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. In January this year, ED arrested former minister and Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, besides Anwar Dhebar, former IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer Arunpati Tripathi and some others in this probe. Bhupesh Baghel alleged on Monday that his son's arrest was an attempt to divert attention from the illegal tree felling in the state, as the Congress was set to raise the issue in the assembly. The veteran Congress leader stated that investigative agencies were being misused to target Opposition leaders, but emphasised that he had complete trust in the judiciary.
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Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Betting app case: ED summons Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda & others
ED has summoned Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, and Prakash Raj in a money laundering probe linked to illegal betting app promotions. The case involves 29 actors, influencers, and YouTubers Prateek Shukla New Delhi The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to four actors — Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi — as part of its investigation into the promotion of illegal online betting platforms, according to a report by The Times of India. Rana Daggubati has been asked to appear before the ED on July 23, followed by Prakash Raj on July 30. Vijay Deverakonda is to appear on August 6, and Manchu Lakshmi on August 13. Officials have said that more people named in the case will receive summons gradually. The ED has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against 29 individuals, including actors, influencers, and content creators. This move follows four FIRs filed by the police in Panjagutta, Miyapur, Visakhapatnam, Suryapet, and Cyberabad. These complaints relate to the alleged promotion of online gambling and betting apps. Other names under investigation In addition to the four actors summoned, others reportedly under the ED's scanner include actors Nidhi Agarwal, Praneetha, Sreemukhi, and Shyamala. Social media influencers and YouTubers like Harsha Sai, Bayya Sunny Yadav, and the 'Local Boy Nani' channel have also been named in the case. The ED's probe began after a formal complaint was submitted on March 19, 2025, by Miyapur resident PM Phanindra Sarma. Sarma told the police that several young people in his area had started showing interest in online betting, influenced by celebrity endorsements on social media. He said, 'I myself almost invested in such an app but stopped after my family advised me against it.' He further alleged that celebrities and influencers were playing an active role in promoting gambling apps via digital advertisements, which had negatively affected the public. Sarma said, 'These platforms target vulnerable groups with promises of easy returns, pushing them toward debt and distress.' He named Rana Daggubati and Prakash Raj as promoting JungleeRummy, and Vijay Deverakonda as endorsing A23, in his complaint.
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
ED summons actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj & Vijay Deverakonda for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps
Synopsis The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Lakshmi Manchu in connection with the alleged promotion of illegal betting apps. The summons are part of a money laundering probe based on FIRs filed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps on social media platforms. ADVERTISEMENT Rana Daggubati has been asked to appear on July 23, followed by Prakash Raj on July 30. Vijay Deverakonda has been called on August 6, while Lakshmi Manchu has been summoned for August 13. The case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from at least five FIRs registered by state police in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the sources said. These FIRs point to a network of betting apps accused of generating illicit revenue running into crores of rupees through unauthorised gambling operations.A total of 29 public figures have been named in the ED's case, including film personalities such Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Ananya Nagalla, and TV host Sreemukhi, alongside popular regional influencers and content believe these celebrities endorsed platforms like Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, and Lotus365 in return for promotional fees, without necessarily verifying the legal status of these services. ADVERTISEMENT While some of those involved have claimed they were unaware of the true nature of the platforms, the ED is likely to record their statements in the coming days to determine the extent of their added that the agency is in the process of collecting additional complaints and FIRs to expand the scope of the investigation. The probe will focus on tracing the proceeds of crime and understanding how much money may have been laundered through promotional deals. ADVERTISEMENT The ED is expected to assess each individual's level of knowledge and intent before drawing conclusions about potential criminal liability, the sources said. (With inputs from PTI) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
ED summons Rana Daggubati to appear on July 23, Prakash Raj on July 30
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned several film and television personalities in connection with its investigation into alleged promotion of illegal online betting platforms. Sources from ED confirmed that actor Rana Daggubati has been directed to appear on July 23, followed by Prakash Raj on July 30, Vijay Deverakonda on August 6, and Manchu Lakshmi on August 13. The summons were issued after the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) earlier this month under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), naming 29 individuals, including actors, TV personalities, YouTubers, and influencers. The probe follows five FIRs lodged in Panjagutta, Miyapur, Cyberabad, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam for suspected violations of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. The ED suspects that celebrities promoted betting platforms such as Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, and Lotus365, which allegedly routed large sums of money. The list of those named in the ECIR includes actors Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, and television and media pesonalities such as Ananya Nagella, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty among others. The ED believes that some of the endorsements appeared in the form of entertainment or charitable content but were in fact targeted promotions for unregulated gambling. One complainant alleged a loss of over ₹3 crore after responding to a YouTube endorsement. Several of those named in the ECIR have denied any involvement, claiming they terminated their contracts after learning about the platforms' legal ambiguities. The ED, however, is examining whether these campaigns were part of a coordinated push to attract users to unauthorised betting sites. More summons are expected in the coming days as the investigation continues.
News18
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Hyderabad: ED summons 4 actors in online betting linked PMLA case
Hyderabad, Jul 21 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Lakshmi Manchu for questioning in a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms, official sources said on Monday. The federal probe agency has asked Daggubati (40) to appear before its zonal office in Hyderabad on July 23. Raj (60) has been summoned on July 30, Deverakonda (36) on August 6 and Lakshmi (47) on August 13, the sources said, adding they had 'endorsed" online betting apps allegedly involved in generating 'illicit" funds. Once they appear, the agency will record their statements under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken cognisance of as many as five state police FIRs to register its case against these actors and a number of other celebrities and social media influencers. These individuals are suspected to have 'endorsed" online betting apps like Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, Lotus365, etc, for celebrity or endorsement fee, according to ED sources. Some of these 'well-known" persons, the sources said, have earlier stated that they did not know the exact functioning of the apps and products dished out by them and claimed that they did not associate themselves with these platforms for any wrongdoing or illegal activity like betting. PTI NES RT RT RT (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 17:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
