Tamannaah (Tamannaah) Bhatia, an Indian actress who has acted in many Bollywood films, including “Bahubali” and “Lust Stories” 2,” has been called in for questioning by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell police department concerning an online gambling application called FairPlay that streams live IPL cricket matches unlawfully. Ms Bhatia will answer questions from these interrogators on the 29th of April.
This development comes after a wider process of investigating the FairPlay app, an online gambling and betting portal subsidiary of Mahadev. The FairPlay app streamed IPL matches in 2023, officials said, without obtaining necessary permission from Viacom 18, the official broadcaster of the Indian Premier League. Viacom 18 incurred huge financial losses through this alleged copyright infringement.
Bhatia is not alone in this case. Actor Sanjay Dutt was also summoned by the Maharashtra cyber cell for similar reasons. Dutt, citing scheduling conflicts, has requested a later date to record his statement. Investigators have already spoken with singer Badshah and the managers of both Bhatia and Dutt’s fellow actor Jacqueline Fernandez.
The FairPlay app is just one piece of a larger puzzle surrounding the Mahadev online platform. Several investigators have been investigating the Mahadev app itself as far as its possible involvement in unlawful betting operations alongside money laundering that is illegal. In 2023, actors Kapil Sharma, Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi, and Hina Khan were trailed for their alleged involvement in the Mahadev money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED also questioned actor Ranbir Kapoor regarding the app.
The ED reportedly has concerns about several other A-list celebrities and sports personalities who may have promoted the Mahadev app or been associated with its promoters. These associations allegedly occurred during events like the 2023 wedding of Sourabh Chandrakar, the head of Mahadev, and a company success party in September 2022.
Bhatia’s appearance before the Maharashtra cyber cell on April 29th will likely shed more light on her involvement with the FairPlay app. While online betting is legal in some countries, it still remains illegal in India. Promotions of the applications that entertain gambling, by celebrities, raise serious questions about the efficiency of regulatory authorities in India.
