Mahadev betting scam: Actress Tamannaah Bhatia summoned by Maha Police

Mumbai, April 25 (IANS) Bollywood actress Tamannaah Bhatia has been summoned by the Maharashtra Cyber Police for the ongoing investigations into the multi-crore Mahadev online gambling and betting scam, officials here said on Thursday.

Bhatia had allegedly endorsed and promoted the online viewing of IPL matches on Fairplay app, one of the group apps of Mahadev, said the officials.

The actress has been asked to appear before the Cyber Police on Monday, April 29, to record her statement as a witness for the investigations into the alleged illegal streaming of the IPL 2023 series on the app.

Noted for her role in 'Baahubali' and other films, Bhatia follows other entertainment industry players like the business managers of Sanjay Dutt and Jacqueline Fernandes, besides singer Badshah and over 425 persons from different fields getting arrested across the country.

As more skeletons tumble out, multiple inter-state and Central agencies are now probing the Mahadev app scam, reported to run into an estimated over Rs 6,000 crore.

After the scam erupted in 2021, the involvement of many celebrities, entertainment world personalities, business folks and others, ostensibly with political patronage, came to the fore.

The case has seen six dozen more FIRs lodged all over India and as a money-laundering angle emerged, the Enforcement Directorate also jumped into the multi-dimensional probe.