ED summons Rhea Chakraborty over allegations of financial irregularities

The ED on July 31 had registered a money laundering case against Chakraborty and a few of her relatives based on a July 25 FIR filed in Patna by Rajput’s father K K Singh.

In the FIR, it is alleged that Rs 15 crore was siphoned off from Rajput’s account in one year “to bank accounts of persons not known or connected to the late actor”. Chakraborty was also accused of giving Rajput an overdose of medicine at her home and “falsely telling him that the actor was suffering from dengue”.

The ED is likely to probe whether Rajput’s wealth has been illegally siphoned off in a manner that will attract money laundering charges.

The FIR has been filed under IPC Sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating). Of these, the offence of cheating falls under the category of predicate offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

On Wednesday, the ED also questioned Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda, who had been hired by Chakraborty after she allegedly fired Rajput’s existing staff.

Miranda is mentioned as an accused in the FIR filed by Rajput’s father.

The agency had earlier questioned Rajput’s chartered accountant Sandeep Sridhar about the actor’s financial transactions over the past few years. It has also summoned Chakraborty’s CA Ritesh Shah. Sources said the agency will be questioning all suspected to have dealt with or benefited from Rajput’s finances.

The ED is also probing two companies floated by Rajput, where Chakraborty, her father Indrajit and brother Showik were directors.