Tamannaah Bhatia Questioned by ED in Guwahati. What was the Questioning All About?

Tamannaah Bhatia was seen in Guwahati last night. Well, it was not for a film shoot or a promotional event; her visit sparked significant interest due to a serious investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Guwahati.

The actor was questioned by the ED on Thursday night for about 8 hours in connection with a money laundering case linked to the controversial ‘HPZ Token’ mobile app.

This app has made headlines for allegedly duping many investors by promising high returns from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency mining.

As per reports, the actor gave her statement at the ED’s zonal office in Guwahati under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Reports said that Bhatia had previously received funds for making a “celebrity appearance” at an event for the app company, but no “incriminating” charges have been levelled against her.

Bhatia had been summoned earlier but postponed her appearance due to work commitments, ultimately choosing to comply with the request on Thursday.

The ongoing investigation has implicated a total of 299 entities, including 76 Chinese-controlled entities, as detailed in the charge sheet filed by the ED in March this year.

This case emerged from an FIR by the cyber crimes unit of Kohima Police in Nagaland which charged several individuals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act for allegedly misleading “gullible” investors with promises of extraordinary returns from cryptocurrency mining.

According to police, the ‘HPZ Token’ app was used by the accused to defraud investors.

The ED claims that numerous “shell entities” with “dummy” directors were created to facilitate the laundering of crime proceeds. Funds were reportedly obtained fraudulently for illegal online gaming, betting, and Bitcoin mining investments.

Investors were promised returns of Rs 4,000 per day for 3 months on an investment of Rs 57,000, but payments were made only once, with the accused subsequently soliciting more funds.

The ED has conducted nationwide searches in connection with this case, leading to the seizure of assets and deposits totalling Rs 455 crore.

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