Odisha EOW to question Govinda in connection with Rs 1,000 crore online ponzi scheme

The Economic Offence Wing (EoW) of Odisha Crime Branch will soon question Bollywood actor Govinda in connection with a Rs 1000 crore online Ponzi scam. Sasmita Sahoo, the Deputy SP of EOW in Odisha Crime Branch, who is also the investigation officer in this case, has said that Govinda will soon be questioned for his alleged involvement in promoting the Solar Techno Alliance (STA). Govinda had reportedly endorsed the company's operations in some promotional videos. 

The EOW has arrested the company’s India and Odisha heads Gurtej Singh Sidhu and Nirod Das respectively on August 7. The company, according to the EOW, was involved in illegally operating a pyramid-structured online ponzi scheme under the garb of crypto investment. "We may issue summons to Govinda for appearing before the EOW for questioning or a team be sent to Mumbai for



the purpose," said Sahoo, adding that the actor had attended STA’s grand function in Goa in July and promoted the company in some videos.

This scheme is believed to be one of the largest cryptocurrency-based Ponzi schemes in India, involving approximately Rs 1,000 crore. According to the police, more than 2 lakh people from across the country fell victim to this scam. The EoW has also issued lookout circulars against the company's chief David Gez, a Hungarian national and three others. Gez was heading the ponzi firm which allegedly lured people on social media to invest in crypto-currency and encouraged its members to enroll more investors. 

An official statement by the EOW said the company had reportedly collected Rs 30 crore from 10,000 people in Odisha’s Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Bhubaneswar.