ED summons Prakash Raj in money laundering case

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 Thursday. The investigation pertains to a case against Pranav Jewellers, a partnership firm based in Tiruchirapalli, whom it had raided on November 20 and claimed to have seized “unexplained” cash of Rs 23.70 lakh and some gold jewellery. Raj (58) has been a brand ambassador of this company. He has been asked to depose before the federal agency in Chennai next week. The actor, who has played various roles in Hindi and South Indian movies, has been an outspoken critic of the BJP. The ED case stems from an FIR of the Tamil Nadu Police Economic Offences Wing. According to the police complaint, Pranav Jewellers and others collected Rs 100 crore from the public under the guise of a gold investment scheme with the promise of high returns, the federal agency said in a statement on Wednesday. @@@@