New Delhi: The Mahadev betting app made headlines in 2023 when major celebs were summoned for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Celebs who appeared in ads for the app were called upon following a crackdown on various betting apps. On Thursday (October 17), actress Tamannaah Bhatia appeared before the ED in Guwahati concerning the HPZ Token mobile app scam.
The allegations against Tamannaah, that promoted this visit, suggest that the actress promoted the viewing of the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches on the Fairplay betting app. Tamannaah reached the ED office in Guwahati around 1:30 PM along with her mother and the interrogation lasted hours.
What is Tamannaah’s role in the HPZ scam?
As mentioned before, in this case, Tamannaah Bhatia is not being questioned as an accused, but rather for promoting the app. Through this app, people were promised a return of Rs 4,000 per day on an investment of Rs 57,000, leading to millions of rupees being defrauded.
Fraudulent accounts were opened in the names of shell companies across various banks, from which money was transferred from investors. The accused individuals invested this money in cryptocurrencies and bitcoins and placed it in several betting apps such as Mahadev. So far, the ED has seized assets worth a whopping Rs 497.20 crore in this case.
For those unversed, the HPZ Token mobile app is a betting platform that offers gambling in the sports and entertainment sections. In 2023, a total of 17 Bollywood stars were under the ED’s radar in regard to the scam. Celebrities such as Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, Huma Qureshi, and Hina Khan among others were summoned as they promoted the app. The authorities called upon these celebs to understand their role and the amount they received in the form of payment.
