What we know so far

1. Ranbir Kapoor appeared in the promotions of Mahadev Online Book app. The CEO claimed that he received a large sum of money in return, which was the proceeds of crime.

2. The agency said that 12 other actors, from Bollywood and Tollywood, are on the agency’s radar. There are also at least 100 influencers under scrutiny and all these people may be summoned as part of the investigation.

3. The promoters, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, hail from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh but the app was run from the company’s headquarters in the UAE. It has call centers in Sri Lanka, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates.

4. The agency alleged that the Mahadev app is part of an umbrella organization that arranges online platforms for illegal betting sites to register new users, create user IDs and launder money through a multi-layered network of benami bank accounts.

5. The promoters ran 4-5 such apps, which were generating revenue of Rs 200 crore daily, an ED official said.

6. Last month, the agency conducted searches against money laundering networks linked to Mahadev app in Kolkata, Bhopal and Mumbai, among other places, and extracted incriminating evidence. It also froze or confiscated proceeds of crime worth Rs 417 crore.

7. A statement issued by the agency last month said Chandrakar and Uppal had “created an empire in the UAE” and were flaunting their illicit wealth.

8. Chandrakar got married in Ras Al Khaimah, a city in the United Arab Emirates, in February, and Rs 200 crore cash was spent on the wedding. Private planes were chartered to fly family members from Nagpur to the UAE and celebrities were paid for their performances.

9. Rs 112 crore was handed over through hawala channels to the event management company – M/s R-1 Events Pvt Ltd – and Rs 42 crore was paid in cash for hotel bookings, the statement said.

10. There is no confirmation yet on whether Ranbir Kapoor will come to the emergency office himself on Friday or send a representative.

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