Winzo co-founder Paavan Nanda granted bail in ED money-laundering case

A sessions court in Bengaluru has granted bail to Paavan Nanda, co-founder of online gaming platform Winzo Games Pvt Ltd, in connection with a money-laundering investigation being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The court’s order, issued on Monday, provides relief to Nanda, who had remained in judicial custody since his bail plea was rejected in December 2025. In the same case, Winzo co-founder Saumya Singh Rathore had earlier secured bail from the court.

While granting bail, the court imposed multiple conditions on Nanda’s release. He has been directed to execute a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh and submit two sureties of Rs 2 lakh each. The court also ordered him to surrender his passport and mandated that he cooperate with investigators whenever summoned. Additionally, Nanda has been restrained from attempting to influence witnesses or engaging in similar alleged offences. His release will take effect after fulfilling all bail requirements.

Also read: Anupam Mittal urges end to Gen Z job-hopping shaming, flags need for long-term commitment

The case stems from several predicate offences cited in FIRs filed across Bengaluru, Rajasthan and Delhi. The ED has alleged that Winzo’s gaming platform was involved in financial irregularities through the use of algorithmic manipulation and automated bots that allegedly influenced game outcomes. According to the agency, these practices resulted in unlawful gains estimated at around Rs 177 crore.

Investigators have also alleged that funds were routed to overseas subsidiaries through complex financial structures. The ED claims that the alleged proceeds were subsequently laundered through cloud infrastructure hosted on Amazon Web Services. The agency has further flagged suspected misuse of user identities and pointed to cross-border fund transfers amounting to nearly USD 55 million as part of the probe.

In December last year, while granting bail to Rathore, the court had denied similar relief to Nanda. With the latest ruling, both co-founders are now out on bail as the investigation continues. The detailed written order from the court is yet to be made public.

Also read: Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh to lead International Marketing for App Store & Games

During court proceedings, Nanda denied all allegations levelled by the ED and maintained that Winzo’s operations were conducted in compliance with applicable laws. He also assured full cooperation with the ongoing investigation and questioned the legality of the search and seizure actions carried out by the agency. Senior Advocate MS Shyam Sundar represented Nanda before the court.