The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken action against properties belonging to Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty in Maharashtra. They’ve attached homes and other assets valued at around Rs 100 crore. The reason? A case involving cheating using Bitcoins, investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Among the attached properties are a flat in Juhu, Mumbai, registered under Shilpa Shetty’s name, along with a bungalow in Pune and some of Raj Kundra’s shares. This all stems from complaints filed against M/s Variable Tech Pte Ltd and others, alleging a massive Bitcoin scam totaling Rs 6,600 crore back in 2017.
The ED claims that Raj Kundra received 285 Bitcoins from the scheme’s mastermind, Amit Bhardwaj, supposedly for setting up a Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine. These Bitcoins, taken from investors, are now worth over Rs 150 crore. Though three suspects have been arrested, the main culprits remain at large.
Before this recent development, properties worth Rs 69 crore had already been seized. The investigation is ongoing, aiming to ensure all those involved face consequences for their actions.