Renowned Bollywood actor Govinda finds himself entangled in a significant legal predicament. The Odisha Police’s Economic Offenses Unit (EOW) is contemplating the interrogation of Govinda in connection with an online Ponzi scam valued at approximately Rs 1,000 crore. Sasmita Sahu, the Deputy Superintendent of Police with the EOW, revealed this development. The scam involved Solar Techno Alliance (STA-Token), an entity purportedly orchestrating an illicit online Ponzi scheme in India, masking it as a crypto investment venture. Govinda, according to reports, had endorsed the activities of this company, prompting the authorities to seek his input.
Govinda’s Involvement in a Rs 1,000 Crore Online Ponzi Scam
Sasmita Sahu, the investigating officer from EOW, conveyed to PTI, “We can summon Govinda for questioning before the EOW or dispatch a team to Mumbai for this purpose.” Sahu further clarified that Govinda is not being viewed as a suspect or accused by the EOW. However, another official emphasized that Govinda’s role in promoting the company has been established through video evidence. The official stated, “If EOW determines that Govinda’s involvement was limited to the endorsement of (STA-Token brand) products as per the agreement, we will designate him as a witness in the case.”
Sasmita Sahu’s Insights on Govinda’s Role and EOW’s Stance
In the preceding month, the EOW apprehended Gurtej Singh, the head of the Ponzi company, and its Odisha in-charge, Narad Das. The Economic Offenses Wing released an official statement, disclosing that the company had amassed Rs 30 crore from around 10,000 individuals across various districts in Odisha, including Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, and Bhubaneswar.
Simultaneously, the Immigration Bureau has issued a lookout notice against Hungarian national David Gage, alleged to have spearheaded a Ponzi company that enticed people under the guise of crypto investment through social media, encouraging them to involve more investors.
