Bollywood star Sonu Sood and ex-WWE wrestler The Great Khali have been summoned in the BlueChip investment scam, Indian authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The summons were issued as the investigation into the Dubai-based company’s collapse, initially reported by Khaleej Times, intensifies.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by ADCP Anjali Vishwakarma has formally requested the two celebrities to provide their statements.
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Vishwakarma told Khaleej Times, “Yes, Sonu Sood and Khali have been called to join the investigation.”
Sood acknowledged receiving the police notice. “I will fully cooperate. I didn’t invest in BlueChip. They still owe me money for an appearance, so I’m also a victim,” he shared with Khaleej Times.
Authorities are scrutinizing BlueChip’s promotional strategy, including its grand July 2022 launch of the BlueChip Token at a Dubai five-star hotel. The event featured Sood, The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana), and ex-Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin as chief guests.
Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghuveer Lal Singh refrained from naming individuals but confirmed that several celebrity notices were sent out.
“Many celebrities have been summoned. Clarity will emerge soon,” he told Indian media.
The investigation aims to determine if any celebrity officially endorsed BlueChip or was aware of its financial claims.
The scam’s operation
BlueChip presented itself in Dubai as a legitimate wealth-building platform, promising 3% monthly returns. It maintained an office in Bur Dubai and hosted events that enhanced its image as a financial powerhouse. The facade crumbled when payouts ceased in early 2024.
The office was deserted overnight, cheques bounced, and numerous UAE investors discovered the company had vanished.
As the probe continues, officers are reviewing images and videos of Soni with public figures, including a photo with Sood in Dubai and a video at BlueChip’s Bur Dubai office showing Sood feeding Soni cake during a celebration.
Police stressed that these visuals are examined to understand BlueChip’s public image, not as evidence of any celebrity’s wrongdoing.
Singh noted Soni’s elaborate public persona in Dubai, where he collected awards, hosted events, and mingled with celebrities. “Any individual’s role will be assessed after their statements are recorded,” he stated.
Soni, wanted in Dubai for payment defaults, was apprehended on November 30 after Kanpur Police traced a food delivery order to his Dehradun hideout, ending an 18-month search. He is on a six-day remand and will be taken to New Delhi and Dehradun to retrieve documents, devices, and financial records.
Commissioner Singh reported over 700 emails from BlueChip investors and identified numerous financial links to Soni, including 26 Indian bank accounts, eight cryptocurrency wallets, and about 20 companies, four now inactive.
Police also traced a US-registered company run by a former Dubai-based BlueChip employee, with active transactions in her account. Notices have been sent, but Khaleej Times received no response from her.
Preliminary estimates put the scam at Dh400 million, Singh said, with the figure likely to rise as more victims come forward. Some complainants have alleged celebrity connections, which the SIT plans to investigate thoroughly.
