Anurag Dwivedi: From Influencer to Investigation – Luxury Wedding Sparks ED Scrutiny | Lucknow News
LUCKNOW: Anurag Dwivedi, a YouTuber and social media influencer from Khajur village in the Bhitrepur gram panchayat of Nawabganj, Unnao, has come under intense scrutiny after his lavish Dubai wedding drew attention alongside ongoing allegations of money laundering linked to illegal online betting. Known for his cricket-related content and fantasy cricket promotions, Dwivedi boasts a social media following of over 2.3 million, where he often portrays himself as a middle-class influencer. However, investigators claim his lifestyle—including luxury vehicles, overseas properties, and an extravagant cruise wedding—contradicts this image. Dwivedi tied the knot with Tamanna in November 2025 aboard the Queen Elizabeth-2 cruise in Dubai, celebrating a 12-year relationship. The wedding reportedly hosted more than 130 guests, many travelling abroad for the first time. Dwivedi covered full expenses, including air travel on five separate flights, visas, luxury accommodation across 25+ hotel rooms, meals, sightseeing tours to landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Creek, and even arranged passports for guests who did not have one. Attendees estimate travel and lodging costs averaged Rs 90,000 to Rs 1 lakh per guest, while the overall wedding budget, including cruise bookings, décor, logistics, and celebrity performances—including a prominent Bollywood singer and actor—ran into several crores. The extravagant celebrations come as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensifies an investigation into Dwivedi’s finances. The federal agency alleges he promoted illegal online betting platforms, received proceeds through hawala channels and mule accounts, and invested in real estate in Dubai using illicit funds. The ED’s Kolkata Zonal Office has conducted extensive searches at ten locations in Lucknow, Unnao, and Delhi, including Dwivedi’s residence and his uncle’s home in Nawabganj, seizing luxury vehicles—a Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes, Ford Endeavour, and Mahindra Thar—cash, digital devices, and financial documents. The probe traces back to a 2022 FIR by West Bengal Police after a raid in Siliguri uncovered an organised online betting operation managed by Sonu Kumar Thakur and Vishal Bhardwaj, using mule bank accounts, Telegram channels, and other platforms. Fund-trail analysis allegedly led investigators to accounts linked to Dwivedi and his associates. According to the ministry of corporate affairs, Dwivedi is associated with several firms, including Fantwear Fashion, RP Greens India, DSD Sports and Media, and Bhumideva Projects, through which illicit proceeds are alleged to have been laundered. The ED has frozen bank balances, fixed deposits, and insurance policies worth about Rs 3 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), while overall movable and immovable assets linked to Dwivedi are estimated at around Rs 20 crore. Officials allege that Dwivedi’s role involved creating promotional videos for illegal betting apps, receiving payments through family members, intermediaries, and companies, and using the proceeds to fund his luxury lifestyle. Dwivedi, who has been associated with online gaming for the past seven years, is currently residing in Dubai and has not appeared before the ED despite multiple summons. The recent searches at his residences were supported by CRPF personnel, including at his uncle’s home where officers waited for his mother to unlock the premises. Officials recovered documents related to bank transactions, property ownership, and digital devices, seeking to trace the source of crores of rupees allegedly generated through fantasy cricket platforms including Dream11.
