The ED’s investigation into illegal betting and money laundering has uncovered that a Rapido bike-taxi driver’s bank account received ₹331.36 crore between 19 August 2024 and 16 April 2025.
This massive inflow triggered suspicion because the driver earnestly leads a humble life — driving for Rapido and living modestly — raising serious doubts about the legitimacy of the funds.
🎯 What ED Found: Money-Laundering, Betting & Lavish Wedding
- Officials suspect the account was used as a “mule account” — a bank account operated to route money from illicit sources through unsuspecting individuals so that the real beneficiaries remain hidden.
- One major fund-outflow — more than ₹1 crore — was reportedly used to pay for a luxury destination wedding held in Udaipur’s upscale resort, allegedly linked to a young politician from Gujarat.
- Investigators have traced at least part of the funds back to the shadowy network of the now-notorious betting platform 1xBet, which is under ED scrutiny for illegal betting and money laundering.
⚠️ Why This Case Is Stunning — And What It Highlights
- The sheer magnitude — ₹331 crore in just eight months — is mind-boggling, especially for a modest bike-taxi driver. This underscores how “mule accounts” can be exploited to mask large-scale laundering.
- The case reveals how illegal-betting proceeds are being funnelled into real-world luxury expenses — weddings, events — blurring the line between underground finance and public display of wealth.
- It shows the growing sophistication of laundering networks: using ordinary, unsuspecting individuals to carry out high-value transactions to avoid detection.
🔭 What to Watch Next — Investigation Developments
- The ED is expected to expand its probe — tracing the full chain of deposits and withdrawals, identifying other “mule accounts,” and uncovering the people behind the network.
- Authorities will likely question the politician linked to the Udaipur wedding, examine resort booking records and payments, and investigate connections to 1xBet and other suspects in illegal betting.
- This case may open a broader crackdown on money-laundering through ride-hailing and fintech apps, and trigger tighter regulatory scrutiny over account-related KYC, transaction monitoring, and fund flows.
✅ What This Means for Public, Platforms & Regulators
- For the public: A reminder to never hand over your bank account or financial identity to strangers or unknown parties — using someone else’s account for transactions can have severe legal consequences.
- For mobility/ride-hailing platforms: Though platforms like Rapido may not be directly responsible, this case increases the urgency for stricter background and KYC checks on drivers, and regular oversight of financial transactions tied to accounts registered through the platform.
- For regulators: This incident underscores the need for robust monitoring of suspicious high-value transactions, better tracking of betting-linked money flows, and enforcing compliance across digital transport and fintech ecosystems.
