Casino organiser Chikoti Praveen Kumar and his aide Madhava Reddy were questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for several hours in connection with the alleged financial irregularities arising out of the events held in India and outside the country, here on Monday.
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Mr. Praveen, Mr. Reddy and four others were served notices to appear before the ED office at Basheerbagh to explain the alleged violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
ED officials, who had conducted several searches at the residences of the organisers over suspected violations since last week, reportedly seized electronic gadgets of Mr. Praveen and identified discrepancies.
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Mr. Praveen, who started for the ED’s office from his residence at IS Sadan on Monday, appeared calm and confident. As mediapersons posed a volley of questions to him over “money laundering, clientele from celebrity and political circles and casino events held in Nepal and other countries,”, he replied, “I am more troubled by mediapersons than the ED.”
According to information, the ED has also questioned the suspects regarding a travel agency that made itineraries for clients to participate in international events, and related money transactions after it.
It was also learnt that Mr. Kumar and others submitted their bank statements of the past few years to ED.