LUCKNOW DEC 25: YouTuber Anurag Dwivedi, who recently hosted a lavish wedding in Dubai, is now under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner over alleged involvement in illegal betting operations and money laundering worth crores of rupees.
The 26-year-old social media influencer from Khajur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district became the focus of an ED investigation when the probe agency raided 10 premises linked to him across Lucknow, Unnao, and Delhi last week.
During the searches, ED officials seized four high-end vehicles including a Lamborghini Urus worth over ₹4 crore, a Mercedes, a Ford Endeavour, and a Thar. The agency also recovered around ₹20 lakh in cash, incriminating documents, and digital devices.
Additionally, movable assets worth approximately ₹3 crore—comprising insurance policies, fixed deposits, and bank account balances—have been frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Seized documents allegedly revealed that Anurag invested in Dubai real estate through hawala channels.
Anurag, who has 2.4 million Instagram followers and 7.11 million YouTube subscribers, describes himself as a fantasy cricket expert. His YouTube channel claims he “started with just ₹300 and is now the biggest fantasy cricket player and fantasy cricket expert in India.”
However, villagers in Khajur paint a different picture. “We never knew what exactly he was doing or how he earned so much money,” said local resident Anil Kumar. Anurag lived in the village until 2019-20 and remained in touch with locals, often visiting in expensive luxury cars.
Deepak Tiwari, another resident, claimed around 30 family members and close associates flew to Dubai for Anurag’s wedding last month. “When the ED team arrived, it felt as if the agency had more personnel than our entire village,” he added.
The probe agency initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by West Bengal Police against individuals operating illegal online betting activities. The ED’s inquiry revealed that two accused, Sonu Kumar Thakur and Vishal Bhardwaj, were running an online betting panel from Siliguri using mule bank accounts, Telegram channels, and digital platforms.
According to the ED, Anurag allegedly played an active role in promoting illegal online betting platforms. The agency claims he received proceeds of crime through hawala channels and mule accounts, and created promotional videos for illegal betting apps to influence the public.
“Large sums were received in the bank accounts of his companies and in the accounts of his family members without corresponding legitimate commercial justification,” the ED stated.
The ED said Anurag is currently living in Dubai and has failed to respond to multiple summons issued by the agency. The probe has already resulted in three arrests, and the ED filed a prosecution complaint before the Special Court (PMLA), Kolkata, on August 1.
Village residents allege that Anurag’s lavish lifestyle negatively influenced local youth. “Because of Anurag, the lives of several young boys have been spoiled. Influenced by his expensive cars, they dropped out of school and began following in his footsteps,” Tiwari claimed. “Those boys did not succeed and are now doing odd jobs in factories.”
Anurag’s father, Laxminath Dwivedi, a former gram pradhan who runs a medical store in nearby Nawabganj, did not respond to calls for comment. Village pradhan Manoj Kumar described the family as coming from a humble background, noting that Anurag himself studied only up to Class IX.
The ED investigation continues as authorities attempt to trace the full extent of the alleged money laundering network.
