Court issues summons to businessman Raj Kundra in Bitcoin ponzi scheme case

ED claims Raj Kundra had received 285 bitcoins from Bhardwaj, which it claimed were proceeds of crime. (Source: File)

The Special court Monday issued summons to two, including businessman Raj Kundra, in connection with the Bitcoin ponzi scheme case, where he is named as an accused by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Kundra and another accused Rajesh Ram Satija have been directed to appear before the court on January 19.

“Issue process against accused number 17 Ripu Sudan Kundra alias Raj Kundra and accused number 18 Rajesh Ram Satija… for the offence under section 3 punishable under section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Issue summons to the accused number 17 and 18 for their appearance before this court returnable on 19/01/2026,” special judge R B Rote said on Monday, taking cognizance of the chargesheet filed against the two.

In September, Kundra and Satija were named as accused in the supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED, in relation to a case against Amit Bhardwaj, promoter and founder GainBitcoin, who allegedly duped investors by promising high returns on investments in mining crypto currency.

ED claims Kundra had received 285 bitcoins from Bhardwaj, which it claimed were proceeds of crime. The ED had alleged that Kundra had not had not divulged the wallet addresses to trace the bitcoins, as he had told the agency that the iPhone X which he was using at the relevant time in 2018 was damaged.

ED had provisionally attached Rs 97.78 crore, including five residential flats valued at Rs 82.71 crore owned by Kundra and his wife actor Shilpa Shetty in Juhu and a residential bungalow premises situated in Pune near Pawna dam, valued at Rs 11.11 crore in 2024.

In the supplementary chargesheet, Kundra had said in his statement that Bhardwaj had approached him through social media and they had discussions on bitcoins.

While Kundra had claimed to have merely acted as a mediator for transfer of 285 bitcoins, valued at Rs 150 crore, on behalf of an Israeli friend , the ED claimed that no proof of this was given. ED also claimed that Kundra and Shilpa Shetty entered into a “sale transaction” of five flats in Juhu without “any change in ownership” and money was sent by Shilpa to Kundra in a joint account in a bid to shield the property from being attached.