ED Attaches ₹11.14 Crore Assets of Former Cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina

New Delhi, Nov 7: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan as part of its money laundering investigation into the illegal online betting platform 1xBet, the agency said on Thursday.

Raina and Dhawan were questioned by the ED in August and September, respectively. The attached assets include mutual fund investments of ₹6.64 crore held in Raina’s name and an immovable property valued at ₹4.5 crore belonging to Dhawan.

The investigation alleges that 1xBet and several related platforms duped thousands of users and investors while evading substantial direct and indirect taxes. Registered in Curacao, 1xBet is a globally recognised bookmaker operating in multiple countries, including India, without official authorisation.

According to the ED, both Raina and Dhawan entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities promoting 1xBet through surrogate brands such as 1xBat. Payments for these endorsements were routed through layered transactions to conceal their illicit origin, linked to proceeds of crime generated from illegal betting activities.

The probe further revealed that 1xBet targeted Indian users via social media, online videos, and print media, collecting funds through over 6,000 mule accounts. Money from these accounts was routed through multiple payment gateways without KYC verification, indicating laundering of funds exceeding ₹1,000 crore. Over 60 bank accounts associated with these payment gateways have been frozen.

Raina and Dhawan were unavailable for comment, and the ED continues to investigate the involvement of other entities in the illegal betting network.