ईडी ने बिटकॉइन निवेश धोखाधड़ी मामले में राज कुंद्रा की 97.79 करोड़ रुपये की संपत्ति कुर्क की।

ED attaches Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97.79 crore in Bitcoin investment fraud case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Thursday that it has temporarily seized both immovable and movable assets valued at Rs 97.79 crore owned by Raj Kundra, the husband of businesswoman and actress Shilpa Shetty, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a Bitcoin investment scam.

The assets confiscated by the central agency include a luxury residential apartment in Mumbai's Juhu area, presently registered under Shilpa Shetty's name, a residential villa located in Pune, and equity shares under Kundra's ownership.

This recent action by the ED against Kundra is linked to a money laundering investigation initiated against him following multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by the Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against Variable Tech Pte Ltd, (late) Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj, Mahender Bhardwaj, and various multi-level marketing (MLM) agents. These FIRs alleged that the accused amassed significant sums in the form of Bitcoins (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017) from individuals with fraudulent promises of a 10% monthly return in Bitcoins. The ED stated that the collected Bitcoins were intended for Bitcoin mining, with investors expecting substantial returns in crypto assets. However, the promoters deceived the investors and concealed the illicitly acquired Bitcoins in obscure online wallets.

During its investigation, the ED discovered that Kundra received 285 Bitcoins from Amit Bhardwaj, the mastermind and promoter of the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam, to establish a Bitcoin mining operation in Ukraine. These Bitcoins were derived from proceeds of crime obtained by Amit Bhardwaj from unsuspecting investors. As the proposed deal did not materialize, Kundra still holds onto the 285 Bitcoins, presently valued at over Rs 150 crore, according to the ED.

Previously, multiple raids were conducted in this case, resulting in the arrests of Simpy Bhardwaj, Nitin Gaur, and Nikhil Mahajan last year. They are currently in judicial custody, while the principal suspects, Ajay Bhardwaj and Mahendra Bhardwaj, remain fugitives. This marks the second seizure in the case, with the ED having previously confiscated assets worth Rs 69 crore. The ED has already filed Prosecution Complaints (chargesheets) against the detained suspects.

In 2021, Kundra spent two months in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail in connection with a pornography case. He was granted bail in September 2021 by a metropolitan magistrate's court in Mumbai.

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