The Mahadev app controversy has engulfed many top Bollywood celebrities under the ED’s radar. Ranbir Kapoor was asked to appear before the agency, but the actor requested a week’s time. Besides him, Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha, Shraddha Kapoor, and many more are currently under the scrutiny of the ED.
The Mahadev app enabled illegal betting on various online games such as poker, card games, chance games, badminton, tennis, football, and cricket. The app is allegedly run by Dubai-based individuals Saurabh and Ravi Uppal. The company operates from Dubai, where betting is legal, but it’s illegal in India.
However, other betting apps entice Bollywood and television celebrities who have yet to achieve significant success in the industry and are seeking opportunities. They offer them 4 to 10 lakhs for endorsements and promotions, as reported by the Free Press Journal.
Recently, actress Kangana Ranaut slammed these celebrities for promoting such apps and mentioned that she had received similar offers, which she declined. She said, “This endorsement offer came to me almost six times over the course of a year, with each offer increasing by several crores, but I declined each time. Integrity is not just a matter of personal conscience anymore. This is the new India; adapt or be forced to adapt.”
Furthermore, the ED probe has revealed that these celebrities receive their payments in fees and through agents and hawala operators in cash.
Previously, many A-listers attended the wedding ceremony of Mahadev Book app promoter Chandrakar in the UAE. Chandrakar got married in February, and Bollywood bigwigs such as Tiger Shroff and Sunny Leone, among others, attended the wedding. Bollywood singers Vishal Dadlani and Neha Kakkar performed at the wedding ceremony.
These connections were established during events such as Sourabh Chandrakar’s wedding in February of this year and the company’s success party in September 2022.