Actors Urvashi Rautela and Sonu Sood were recently summoned and questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a widening investigation into the promotion of illegal online betting platforms. The probe focuses on celebrity endorsements of apps that allegedly operated in violation of Indian gambling laws.
According to NDTV Profit, the ED is scrutinising the duo’s affiliations with certain online gambling websites. Reports suggest that Urvashi and Sonu were questioned regarding their endorsement contracts and promotional roles tied to betting apps, including surrogate platforms such as “1xbat,” which allegedly redirected users through QR codes and web links to 1xBet—a gambling site banned in India.
An official from the ED, quoted by News18, stated, “These platforms have gained massive visibility by partnering with celebrities and influencers — even in defiance of explicit government bans.” So far, neither Urvashi Rautela nor Sonu Sood’s teams have released official statements on the matter.
The investigation also includes other public figures from the entertainment and sports industries. Cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Suresh Raina were also called in for questioning. The ED believes endorsements from such high-profile names played a pivotal role in lending credibility and visibility to the banned platforms, thereby facilitating large-scale user engagement and, in turn, financial fraud.
In March this year, an FIR was lodged in Hyderabad against 25 celebrities for promoting illegal betting platforms. The list includes actors and public figures such as Nidhi Agarwal, Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi, and Praneetha.
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