New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has seized a bungalow and a flat, besides equity shares worth about Rs 98 crore, of Acton Shipa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra, linked to a money-laundering case. Alleged crypto asset 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.
This case pertains to alleged cheating of investors through crypto currencies like Bitcoin.
The federal agency said in a statement that the attached assets include a residential flat in Juhu, Mumbai, currently in the name of Shetty, a bungalow in Pune and equity shares in the name of O Kundra.It said that the value of these properties is Rs 97.79 crore.
A lawyer for the couple said there was no prima facie case against his clients and they would cooperate with authorities.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against a company called Variable Tech Pvt Ltd, late Ami Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpi Bhardwaj, Mahendra Bhardwaj and several multi-level marketing agents. It is alleged that he collected large amounts of money in the form of Bitcoin (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017) from the public with the "false promise" of 10 per cent monthly returns.
It was alleged by the ED that the Bitcoins were to be used for mining and investors were supposed to get huge returns in the crypto assets, but the promoters "cheated" them and were hiding the "ill-gotten" Bitcoins in online wallets. Were.,
The agency alleged that Kundra received 285 Bitcoins from Amit Bhardwaj, the promoter "mastermind" of the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi "scam", to "set up a Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine".
It said these bitcoins were obtained from "proceeds of crime" collected by Ami Bhardwaj from gullible investors.
“Since the deal did not fall through, Kundra still holds 285 Bitcoins, which is currently worth over Rs 150 crore,” E claimed.
Counsel for Shetty and Kundra said they will follow due process of law and take necessary steps as prescribed under PMLA to protect the liberty and property of their clients.
“We have full faith in the honorable judiciary.I believe that when we represent ourselves impartially before the Honorable Enforcement Directorate, the investigating agencies can also give us justice."
"We are confident of a fair investigation," lawyer Prashant Patil said in the statement.
ED had arrested Simpi Bhardwaj, Nitin Gaur and Nikhil Mahajan in this case last year. He is currently in jail under judicial custody.
The main accused, Ajay Bhardwaj and Mahendra Bhardwaj, are absconding, it said, adding that it had earlier attached assets worth Rs 69 crore in the case.So far, two charge sheets have been filed in this case, the first in June 2019 and the second in February this year.
The federal agency has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the properties of the couple.
This case pertains to alleged cheating of investors through crypto currencies like Bitcoin.
The federal agency said in a statement that the attached assets include a residential flat in Juhu, Mumbai, currently in the name of Shetty, a bungalow in Pune and equity shares in the name of O Kundra.It said that the value of these properties is Rs 97.79 crore.
A lawyer for the couple said there was no prima facie case against his clients and they would cooperate with authorities.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against a company called Variable Tech Pvt Ltd, late Ami Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpi Bhardwaj, Mahendra Bhardwaj and several multi-level marketing agents. It is alleged that he collected large amounts of money in the form of Bitcoin (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017) from the public with the "false promise" of 10 per cent monthly returns.
It was alleged by the ED that the Bitcoins were to be used for mining and investors were supposed to get huge returns in the crypto assets, but the promoters "cheated" them and were hiding the "ill-gotten" Bitcoins in online wallets. Were.,
The agency alleged that Kundra received 285 Bitcoins from Amit Bhardwaj, the promoter "mastermind" of the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi "scam", to "set up a Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine".
It said these bitcoins were obtained from "proceeds of crime" collected by Ami Bhardwaj from gullible investors.
“Since the deal did not fall through, Kundra still holds 285 Bitcoins, which is currently worth over Rs 150 crore,” E claimed.
Counsel for Shetty and Kundra said they will follow due process of law and take necessary steps as prescribed under PMLA to protect the liberty and property of their clients.
“We have full faith in the honorable judiciary.I believe that when we represent ourselves impartially before the Honorable Enforcement Directorate, the investigating agencies can also give us justice."
"We are confident of a fair investigation," lawyer Prashant Patil said in the statement.
ED had arrested Simpi Bhardwaj, Nitin Gaur and Nikhil Mahajan in this case last year. He is currently in jail under judicial custody.
The main accused, Ajay Bhardwaj and Mahendra Bhardwaj, are absconding, it said, adding that it had earlier attached assets worth Rs 69 crore in the case.So far, two charge sheets have been filed in this case, the first in June 2019 and the second in February this year.
