Actor Prakash Raj gets ED summons in Rs 100-cr case

Chennai, November 23

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actor Prakash Raj for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged Rs 100-crore ponzi and fraud case against a Tiruchirapalli-based jewellery group, official sources said on Thursday.

The investigation pertains to a case against Pranav Jewellers, a partnership firm based in Tiruchirapalli, whom the ED raided on November 20 and claimed to have seized “unexplained” cash of Rs 23.70 lakh and some gold jewellery. Raj (58), a national award-winning actor, has been a brand ambassador of this company. He has been asked to depose before the federal agency in Chennai in the first week of December.

Having acted in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil movies, Raj has been an outspoken critic of the BJP. He unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate from Bengaluru Central seat.

According to sources, the ED wants to record his statement and understand some purported payments made by the company to the Bengaluru-based actor-politician and some other financial transactions.