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Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty: A case will be tried against Raj Kundra, the businessman who turned producer and actor. A special court has found sufficient prima facie evidence against him in a high-profile Bitcoin m ( Bitcoin ) oney laundering case. A special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002) court, taking cognizance of a supplementary prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) – a complaint supported by sufficient evidence to warrant action – has ordered the trial of both the accused. The court, taking cognizance of the offense under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), has issued summons to Raj Kundra and Satiza to appear before the court on January 19, 2026. The detailed order states that there is sufficient material on record to proceed with further legal proceedings against the accused.
What is the whole case?
According to the ED, the roots of this case are linked to the FIRs registered by the Maharashtra and Delhi Police in the Variable Tech Private Limited case. The agency alleges that the company’s promoters collected large sums of money in Bitcoin from people by promising a 10 percent monthly return. Instead of using this money for Bitcoin mining, the investors were defrauded, and the money was hidden in secret digital wallets. The investigation revealed that Raj Kundra allegedly received 285 Bitcoins from the alleged mastermind Amit Bhardwaj, valued at over Rs 150 crore. The ED claims that these Bitcoins were proceeds of crime, and Kundra remained in possession of them despite the deal not being completed. The agency also alleges that to conceal the source of the funds, Kundra conducted transactions with his wife, actress Shilpa Shetty, at a price below the market rate. Co-accused Satiza is accused of receiving Rs 55 crore from Amit Bhardwaj.
