Businessman
Raj Kundra
and his actress wife
Shilpa Shetty
found themselves at the centre of the controversy once again, this time for their alleged involvement in a Rs 6600 crore
Bitcoin Ponzi scam
.
On Thursday afternoon, the
Enforcement Directorate
(ED) in a statement announced that they have attached a bungalow and a flat, apart from equity shares, worth about Rs 97.79 crore of Kundra and Shetty in connection with a
money-laundering
case linked to the alleged crypto assets Ponzi scheme.
The federal agency has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the properties of the couple following investigations into a case pertaining to the alleged duping of investors through the use of cryptocurrency.
Amidst these allegations of the couple’s alleged connection to the fraudulent scheme, Raj seemingly responded to the claims with a cryptic post on his social media handle. The businessman took to his Instagram stories to post a picture of a roaring lion and a quote that read, “Learning to stay calm when you feel disrespected is a different type of growth.”
Following the allegations, Kundra’s team issued a statement through his legal counsel Prashant Patil, who said, “We shall follow the due process of law and take necessary steps as prescribed under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act to protect the liberty and property of my clients.”
Patil further claimed, “On the face of it, there is no prima facie case made out against my clients Mr. Raj Kundra and Mrs. Shilpa Shetty Kundra.”
Expressing confidence in the judiciary, Patil affirmed, “We have complete faith in the Honourable Judiciary. I believe when we make our fair representation before the Honourable Enforcement Directorate, even the investigation agencies may grant justice to us. We have faith in the fair investigation. We stand committed to cooperate with the authorities as and when required.”
The ED began their investigation following multiple FIRs filed by the
Maharashtra Police
and Delhi Police against various individuals involved in the alleged Bitcoin Ponzi scam. The scam is said to have fraudulently collected substantial funds from the public under false promises of lucrative returns.
According to the ED, Kundra purportedly received 285 Bitcoins from the mastermind of the scam, Amit Bhardwaj, for the purpose of establishing a Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine. Despite the deal not materializing, Kundra is said to retain possession of these Bitcoins, valued at over Rs 150 crore.
Previous arrests have been made in connection with the scam, with individuals currently in judicial custody, while the main accused is absconding. The investigation continues.
