Tamannaah Bhatia questioned by ED in money laundering case

Bollywood actor Tamannaah Bhatia was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India in Guwahati for interrogation in a money laundering case, allegedly for her links with a fraudulent digital platform named ‘HPZ Token’.

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As reported by Indian media, Tamannaah Bhatia, who was previously grilled by Maharashtra Cyber Police, in a similar probe linked to the illegal streaming of IPL matches on the FairPlay app, was questioned by ED on Thursday night, over her alleged links to the digital platform ‘HPZ Token’.

According to the details, the online platform is at the centre of the money laundering investigation, for allegedly defrauding several investors, promising lucrative returns through cryptocurrency mining.

Reportedly, the questioning session, also in connection to the previous allegations of promoting illegal streaming of IPL matches on the FairPlay app, which is linked to the infamous Mahadev gaming and betting app, lasted for several hours.

Notably, the case against the HPZ Token app started from an FIR filed in Kohima, Nagaland, and was later transferred to ED for investigation under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act).

Meanwhile, the ‘Stree 2’ actor was questioned because she attended an event organized by the same platform and also received a payment for her ‘celebrity appearance’. Therefore, it is now being investigated if her outing and endorsement of the platform lent any credibility to the scam, luring the investors to put their money into it.

The officials however confirmed that no ‘incriminating’ evidence or charges had been brought upon Bhatia.

Also Read: Prakash Raj in legal trouble over money-laundering case

It is pertinent to note here that the ED chargesheet filed earlier this year, names at least 299 accused entities in the scam, 76 of which are under Chinese control and 10 with Chinese-origin directors.

Reportedly, the accused deceived ‘gullible’ investors, luring them with unrealistic returns, including daily returns of INR4,000 on an initial investment of INR57,000.

However, the investors received only one payment of returns.