The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Showik Chakraborty, brother of actor Rhea Chakraborty, for about 18 hours in connection with a money laundering case linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, officials said on Sunday.
Showik left the central investigative agency’s office here in the Ballard Estate area around 6:30 AM after an overnight questioning session that began around noon on Saturday.
Officials said Showik’s statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and he was asked about his personal businesses, income, investments and financial dealings with his sister and Rajput.
He was grilled by the agency for a few hours on August 7 as well. On the same day, his sister and prime accused in the case Rhea (28) was questioned by the agency for the first time for about eight hours.
Rhea and her father Indrajit Chakraborty have been summoned to appear before the agency again on Monday.
On Friday, the ED had questioned Indrajit, Rhea’s chartered accountant (CA) Ritesh Shah and business manager Shruti Modi, who also worked for Rajput.
The agency is understood to have questioned Rhea, who stated in her petition to the court that she was in a live-in relationship with Rajput, about her friendship with the late actor, business dealings and the developments that took place over the last few years between them.
The ED’s line of questioning, officials said, is revolving around Rhea’s income, investments, business and professional deals, and links.
Also under the ED’s scanner is a property located in the city’s Khar area and another in Navi Mumbai, both linked to Rhea, for the source of purchase and ownership.
Agency sources have said they “want more answers” from Rhea over the alleged mismatch between her income, expenditure and investments. They said while Chakraborty has filed Income Tax Returns stating an income of about Rs 14 lakh, the value of her investments is reportedly higher.
Her father, they said, is a retired defence personnel who gets a pension of about Rs 1 lakh per month.
The sources said Rhea told the agency that she had made the property investments from her income, savings and has taken bank loans.
Rhea has been accused by Rajput’s father of abetting his son’s suicide and she had initially refused to appear before the agency citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court that is slated to be heard on August 11. (PTI)
