Raj Kundra questioned for over 5 hours in Bitcoin scam

MUMBAI: Even five hours after Enforcement Directorate (ED) began questioning businessman Raj Kundra in connection with a Rs 2000-crore Bitcoin scam, the law enforcement agency is still continuing to probe him. Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's husband, Raj Kundra, was on Tuesday summoned in connection with the scam. 

The questioning began at 11:30 am and is likely to be revolving around Amit Bharadwaj, an accused in the case. Kundra's name came up when Bharadwaj was being questioned. The Income Tax Department had recently sent notices to bitcoin users who were dealing in bitcoins worth Rs 1 crore or more daily. These names were also forwarded to ED and a probe into possible money laundering and fraud was initiated. It is learnt that many well-known names - especially those of Bollywood celebrities - may come up during investigations.

Pune businessman Bharadwaj was arrested six months ago from the Delhi airport. He had allegedly flown away after duping over 8000 people under the Ponzi scheme. Pune Police had located him in Bangkok. He had duped people to invest in bitcoins for 18 months and promised them benefit at the return of 10 per cent. When people did not get back the promised money, they filed a complaint with the police.

While the nature of Kundra's questioning is not yet clear, he is not new to controversies and was previously embroiled in the infamous IPL betting scandal. He is serving a life ban from all cricket-related activities. In March, Kundra did file a petition in Supreme Court challenging the ban.

Rajasthan Royals, a franchise he co-owns, was also banned for two years and made a comeback in the recently-concluded IPL season.