Bollywood actress Tamannaah Bhatia is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Guwahati regarding the HPZ app scam. While she is not being treated as an accused, Bhatia is being questioned due to her role in promoting the app. According to sources, the interrogation is ongoing, and she arrived in Guwahati with her mother to appear before the authorities.
Second Round of Interrogation
This is the second time the ED has questioned Tamannaah Bhatia. Previously, she was under scrutiny for her association with the Mahadev betting app. In April, she was summoned by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell for allegedly endorsing IPL matches on the FairPlay app, a subsidiary of Mahadev.
What Is the HPZ App Scam?
The HPZ app scam defrauded investors by promising them daily returns of Rs 4,000 on an initial investment of Rs 57,000. The perpetrators used fake bank accounts under the names of shell companies to launder the money, which was then invested in cryptocurrencies and betting apps like Mahadev. The ED has seized assets worth Rs 497.20 crore in connection to this fraud.
The Mahadev Betting App Case
The Mahadev betting app case has become a major scandal, estimated to involve around Rs 15,000 crore. The app is accused of illegally streaming IPL matches without authorization from Viacom 18, causing substantial financial losses. Tamannaah Bhatia’s alleged promotion of the FairPlay app, linked to Mahadev, is under investigation. Viacom reportedly lost Rs 1 crore due to the illegal streaming, and more than 38 individuals are implicated in the broader scam.