The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has brought Indian cricket stars Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh under the scanner as part of an ongoing probe into an illegal online betting application. The investigation focuses on suspected money laundering linked to the platform.
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Financial Links Under Scrutiny
Sources close to the investigation revealed that both cricketers are being examined for potential financial ties to the app and any promotional activities they may have engaged in. The agency is reviewing transactions and contracts involving the app’s operators and several public figures who endorsed or were affiliated with it.
While no formal charges have been filed against either cricketer, the ED has reportedly summoned them for questioning to clarify their association. Financial records, digital payment receipts, and promotional materials are being analyzed as part of the inquiry.
The illegal betting app is believed to have operated across several Indian states and involved large sums of unaccounted money. It allegedly attracted users with false promises of returns through manipulated games and fixed results, routing funds through shell companies.
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Wider Crackdown on Digital Betting Networks
The ED’s probe is part of a broader crackdown on digital gambling platforms suspected of facilitating money laundering and violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Several arrests have already been made in connection with the racket, and multiple raids have been carried out in different cities.
This investigation has also drawn attention to the increasing role of influencers and celebrities in endorsing online betting apps, some of which operate in legal grey areas. The agency is expected to summon other public figures who have had promotional links with the app in question.
Both Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh have not issued official statements yet. However, their representatives have indicated that they will cooperate fully with the authorities and are confident of clearing any misunderstandings.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.