Tamannaah Bhatia summoned by Maharashtra Cyber Cell in Fairplay case
What's the story
Actor Tamannaah Bhatia, celebrated for her performances in projects such as Baahubali and Lust Stories 2, has been summoned by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell.
The summons pertains to her reported endorsement of the Fairplay betting app—a subsidiary app of the Mahadev online gaming and betting application.
The case is centered around the unlawful streaming of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches on Fairplay.
Illegal streaming
What is Fairplay and what does it do?
Fairplay, a subsidiary of Mahadev, is a platform that provides various sports and entertainment betting opportunities.
It streams all sports matches live, enabling players to "watch and win at the same time," according to their website.
However, it was found that some IPL matches were illegally streamed on this app, which led to a complaint from a broadcaster.
The Maharashtra Cyber Cell is now busy investigating this matter.
Celebrity involvement
Maharashtra Cyber Cell has already recorded statements from others
The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has recorded statements from singer Badshah and representatives of actors Sanjay Dutt and Jacqueline Fernandez.
Dutt was also summoned in the same case on Tuesday but requested a later date due to his absence from India.
Meanwhile, news agency ANI reported that Bhatia has been asked to appear before MCC on April 29.
Bhatia has not yet reacted to the development.
IPR infringement
The case dates back to September 2023
The case dates back to September 2023 when Viacom18 filed a complaint alleging that their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) were infringed by the app.
Despite Viacom18 holding exclusive rights for streaming the matches, the app was reportedly broadcasting them unlawfully.
This led to losses exceeding ₹100 crore for Viacom18, triggering an investigation that has since involved several high-profile figures from the entertainment industry.
More about Fairplay
This is how the app operates
Per its website, "Fairplay is one of India's and the world's largest sports betting platforms. There are hundreds of events in different disciplines as well as several sections dedicated to casinos. One of our top priorities is to provide the widest possible selection of gambling entertainment."
"We also offer some of the most favorable odds on the market. We form odds based on players' bets, which allows us to get fair payouts for successful predictions."
Betting investigation
Mahadev app offered platforms for illegal betting on live games
The Mahadev online gaming application, operated by Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Dubai, offers platforms for illegal betting on various live games.
The company attracted new customers by regularly launching new websites and closed chat groups.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating a money laundering case linked to the Mahadev app for over a year, revealing involvement from several high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh.
Earlier, Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor were summoned in the Mahadev case.