ED Uncovers Massive Money Laundering Scheme: Rapido Driver's Account Linked to Lavish Udaipur Wedding

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered an astonishing financial connection between a Rapido bike driver's bank account and an extravagant wedding celebration at Udaipur's prestigious Taj Aravalli Resort. The high-profile wedding, associated with Gujarat youth political leader Aditya Zula, occurred in November last year, raising significant concerns about the funding source behind this luxurious event.

During their investigation into the illegal 1xBet betting operation, ED officials discovered that the Rapido driver's account had received an extraordinary sum of Rs 331.36 crore in deposits between August 2024 and April 2025. Investigators revealed that over Rs 1 crore from these funds was directed toward financing the Udaipur wedding ceremony, despite the driver having no personal connection to either the bride or groom.

According to ED officials, the account operated as a mule – receiving substantial deposits from various unidentified sources before rapidly transferring the money to other suspicious accounts. One financial trail leads directly to a bank account connected with illegal betting activities. The ED is currently expanding their investigation to identify additional origins and destinations of these suspicious transactions.

Investigators suspect that utilizing this third-party account may have been a deliberate strategy to conceal the actual source of the funds and evade regulatory scrutiny. Officials have expressed shock at both the magnitude of the deposits and the casual misuse of the driver's account.

A senior ED officer warned that such practices are becoming increasingly prevalent, noting that many individuals provide access to their accounts without understanding the consequences, only to face serious legal repercussions when their accounts are used for laundering proceeds from criminal activities.

This case demonstrates the growing trend of using mule accounts to finance high-end celebrations and expensive events, effectively turning unsuspecting individuals into unwitting financial fronts for illicit operations.

The ED has issued the following public advisory:

• Never share bank account details, debit or credit cards, UPI, or net-banking access.

• Do not sign cheques or financial documents for unknown persons.

• Report any unusual deposits, withdrawals, or attempts to misuse your account.

• Be cautious of people offering money to use your financial identity.

• Verify mobile numbers issued in your name at the government portal tafcop.sancharsaathi.gov.in and deactivate numbers you do not use.