ED Expands Betting App Probe, Summons Mimi Chakraborty and Urvashi Rautela
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned actor-turned-politician Mimi Chakraborty in connection with its probe into a betting app case, officials said Saturday. The actress has been asked to appear in New Delhi on 15 September. Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela has also been summoned, with her questioning scheduled for 16 September. The agency has already questioned several high-profile celebrities in recent weeks, including former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, over their association with the promotion of the app. Chakraborty, a former Trinamul Congress parliamentarian, is one of Bengal’s most recognizable film stars. She has worked extensively in both television and films, while also endorsing several brands. Investigators allege that she, along with fellow Bengali actor Ankush Hazra, appeared in advertisements linked to the betting app now under scrutiny. The ED believes the celebrities’ endorsements played a key role in promoting the app to a wider audience. Officials said their questioning will focus on whether the stars were aware of the app’s alleged illegal operations and whether payments received for promotions were routed through legitimate channels. The betting app case has widened rapidly, with the agency summoning at least 29 celebrities from across India. Among them are actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj and Vijay Deverakonda, all of whom were reportedly associated with the app’s promotion. Hazra, another prominent Tollywood actor, was called earlier this week. Sources said the questioning of Chakraborty and Rautela is expected to shed further light on the financial trail the agency is probing. The betting app is alleged to have violated Indian gambling and money laundering laws, with investigators claiming that large sums of money were routed abroad through shell companies. The ED is also examining possible links between the app’s operators and hawala channels.
Modi Arrives in Kolkata for Military Commanders’ Meet; Police Impose Traffic Curbs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kolkata on Sunday night to inaugurate one of the Indian armed forces’ biggest strategic gatherings since last year’s Operation Sindoor. The Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) will run from Sunday to Tuesday at Fort William, the headquarters of the Eastern Command. Mr Modi flew in late in the evening and headed straight to Raj Bhavan, the colonial-era Governor’s House, where he will spend the night. On Sunday morning he is due to open the conference, which will bring together Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The high-level meeting will focus on border security, institutional reform and accelerating the modernisation of the armed forces. Senior defence officials said lessons drawn from Operation Sindoor — India’s cross-border strikes following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists — would also shape the deliberations. The CCC has long been a forum for frank exchanges between military commanders and the political leadership. The last edition, in Bhopal in 2023, was also opened by Mr Modi, but this year’s event in Kolkata carries additional weight in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. The prime minister’s presence, however, also means disruption for the city. Kolkata Police have imposed sweeping traffic restrictions through the weekend. Commissioner Manoj Verma said the movement of goods vehicles on major arteries was banned between 3.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, and again from 7.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Streets around Raj Bhavan are shut to heavy traffic until late Saturday night, while extra barricades and checkpoints have been put in place near Fort William. For many residents, the curbs are a familiar inconvenience whenever a VVIP comes to town. But officials insisted they were essential, given the scale of the security operation and the sensitivity of the conference. Defence ministry sources said the final day of discussions on Monday would be attended by senior bureaucrats, including Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, before the prime minister returns to Delhi.
Pilot Aborts Takeoff at Lucknow Airport, 151 Passengers Safe
A major accident was averted at Lucknow airport on Saturday morning when an IndiGo flight to Delhi aborted takeoff, saving the lives of 151 passengers on board. The Lucknow-Delhi flight 6E-2111 was accelerating on the runway when the pilot detected a technical snag and applied emergency brakes, halting the aircraft just in time, officials said. Panic briefly broke out among passengers as the aircraft came to an abrupt stop. Among the passengers was Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, wife of party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. “God’s grace saved us. A tragedy could have happened,” said one relieved passenger after safely disembarking. All passengers were safely evacuated, and IndiGo later arranged another flight to Delhi for them. Preliminary reports suggest a technical fault, though a detailed investigation has been ordered, airport officials confirmed.
