ED questions actor Tamannaah Bhatia in case linked to Bitcoin mining scam

Tamannaah Bhatia had reportedly accepted a fee to appear at one of the events of 'HPZ Token'. Sources said there were no "incriminating" charges against her.

In Short

• Tamannaah Bhatia questioned by ED Guwahati
• Probe linked to 'HPZ token' app duping investors
• No "incirminating" charges against her

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia was questioned by the ED on Thursday in Guwahati in connection with a money laundering case probe linked to the 'HPZ Token' mobile app in which several investors were allegedly duped on the pretext of mining Bitcoins and some other cryptocurrencies, official sources said.

The actress had appeared at one of the events of HPZ token for which she was paid an appearance fee, but there were no "incriminating" charges against her, sources further stated.

In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a charge sheet in March accusing a total of 299 entities in a money laundering case linked to a cybercrime operation.

Among these, 76 entities are controlled by Chinese nationals, with ten directors identified as being of Chinese origin. Additionally, two entities are managed by other foreign nationals.

The case originated from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the cyber crimes unit of the Kohima Police. The FIR alleges that various individuals duped unsuspecting investors by promising extraordinary returns through Bitcoin mining and other cryptocurrency ventures.

According to the ED, the accused utilised the 'HPZ Token' mobile application as a tool to defraud investors. The agency revealed that numerous "shell entities" were created with "dummy" directors to facilitate the "layering" of illicit funds.

These accounts were reportedly opened to funnel money obtained from illegal online gaming, betting, and cryptocurrency investments.

Investors were promised substantial returns — specifically, an investment of Rs 57,000 was said to yield Rs 4,000 per day for three months. However, payouts were made only once, after which the accused began soliciting additional funds from investors.

In a nationwide operation, the ED conducted searches that resulted in the seizure of immovable assets and bank deposits totalling Rs 455 crore, highlighting the scale of the alleged fraud.

(with inputs from Manish Pandey)