Shefali Bagga Surrenders ₹1.2 Crore in Mahadev Betting App Probe

What happened on 8 October 2026

Television sports presenter and former Bigg Boss contestant Shefali Bagga voluntarily handed over ₹1.2 crore to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after being questioned in the Mahadev betting‑app investigation [1]. The amount was delivered through two demand drafts of ₹50 lakh and ₹70 lakh to the ED’s Raipur unit, which leads the multi‑state probe that began in 2022.

Background on the Mahadev betting app

The Mahadev platform is described by the ED as one of India’s largest illegal online‑betting syndicates. It offered gambling on poker, card games and sports tournaments and was allegedly operated from Dubai by co‑promoters Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal. The agency says the syndicate laundered proceeds through a network of benami bank accounts and franchisees, generating proceeds of crime estimated at more than ₹75,000 crore over seven years [2].

Payments and earlier seizure

According to the ED, Bagga received roughly ₹1.5 crore for producing promotional videos for the betting app. In May 2026, ED officers seized ₹30 lakh in cash during searches of her Delhi and Mumbai residences, which the agency says formed part of that total [1]. The remaining ₹1.2 crore was surrendered in October.

Wider investigation and other names

The latest chargesheet filed before a special court in Raipur names 42 individuals, including Ebix Group chairman Vikas Garg and EaseMyTrip promoter Nishant Pitti. The ED has also examined several Bollywood personalities and social‑media influencers who allegedly endorsed the platform, and it previously summoned actor Ranbir Kapoor for questioning [2].

Legal context and what the surrender means

The surrender is voluntary and does not constitute an admission of guilt; the case remains under investigation and subject to judicial adjudication. Bagga has stated she was unaware of the platform’s illegal nature and has cooperated with the ED, with her statement recorded as a witness statement. The development highlights how celebrity endorsements can become entangled in large‑scale financial‑crime probes, prompting broader scrutiny of influencer accountability.