ED Investigation Mystery: YouTuber under ED investigation holds a wedding worth crores with 130 guests on a Dubai cruise, while his bank accounts in India are frozen and summons are pending. Was this just an amateur luxury wedding or a strategy to stay away from scrutiny?
ED Probe YouTuber Wedding: Anurag Dwivedi, who hails from Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, is in the headlines these days not for social media but for the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Anurag, who describes himself as a cricket influencer and the face of fantasy cricket on YouTube, faces serious allegations of money laundering related to illegal betting platforms. Meanwhile, their luxury cruise wedding in Dubai has raised many questions before both the people and the investigating agencies.
How was the destination wedding worth crores in Dubai?
On November 25, Anurag Dwivedi married his 12-year-old girlfriend Tamanna on the Queen Elizabeth-II Cruise. This was not a common marriage. More than 130 guests were invited to Dubai for this wedding, many of whom were traveling abroad for the first time. According to sources, Anurag himself bore the entire expense of flight tickets, visa, hotel, food, local transport and sightseeing of all the guests.
How much did it cost per guest?
According to sources related to the investigation, on an average Rs 90 thousand to Rs 1 lakh was spent on each guest. This means that more than Rs 1.3 crore has been spent on travel and stay alone. Passports were also made for those guests who did not have passports. In Dubai, he was taken on a tour of more than 25 luxury hotel rooms, exclusive vehicles and tourist spots like Burj Khalifa and Dubai Creek.
Which stars attended the wedding?
A well-known Bollywood playback singer and actor gave a live performance at the wedding celebration held on the open deck of the cruise. Videos and pictures quickly went viral on social media, after which questions began to arise as to where did so much money come from?
What came to light in the ED investigation?
According to ED, Anurag Dwivedi is accused of promoting an illegal online betting platform and sending the money received from it to Dubai through Hawala channels. This money was used for real estate investment there. Till now ED has conducted raids in UP and Delhi, frozen bank accounts, seized cash and seized luxury cars like Lamborghini and Mercedes from the house in Unnao. Sources claim that the total assets associated with him are estimated to be around Rs 20 crore.
Why did Anurag Dwivedi not appear despite ED summons?
ED has sent summons to Anurag several times, but he has not appeared before the agency yet. Three of his alleged associates have been arrested in this case, while Anurag himself is living in Dubai.
Social media influencer or face of money laundering?
Anurag, who has more than 2.3 million followers on social media, often describes himself as a successful YouTuber from a middle class background. But now the questions regarding his lifestyle, luxury marriage and foreign investment are increasing. Was it just a luxury wedding, or are the layers of money laundering slowly being revealed?