In a new twist to the never-ending series of controversies surrounding the former Miss World and Bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai, reports suggest that the Enforcement Directorate has initiated probe against her for allegedly receiving close to Rs 50 lakh through hawala from an event organiser in Dubai.

Barely a month ago, Ash was questioned by the Custom Department for receiving a mysterious package from the Netherlands carrying euros 23,000 (approximately Rs 13 lakh) and some other articles.

According to ED sources, the actress received the money last year for a show she had agreed to do in 2003. However, the show could not be organised as its dates clashed with another show featuring Bollywood King Shahrukh Khan, Ash and several other famous stars. The actors are believed to have collected their fee as per the agreement with the event management company.

However, sources insist that the payments were made through hawala. Ash’s name caught the attention of the ED as her tax returns for 2003, ’04 and ’05 bore no mention of such payment. The payments to Ash and others were reportedly arranged by Manun Thakur Talenting, a small event management firm based in Andheri that acted as the Dubai firm’s Indian agent. ED team is believed to have stumbled upon the information when a raid was conducted at Talenting’s office and a laptop was seized. The data stored in the laptop revealed that the company received sums running into crores from Dubai in 2004-05, though only Rs 7 lakh of that money was accounted for.

Further investigation reportedly revealed that Talenting may have disbursed the money to Ashwarya and other actors through hawala channels.

Ash, regarded among world’s most beautiful actresses, was given a clean chit in the mystery package case.

Ash has been in the news throughout the year on account of her appearances at international film festivals, Hollywood ventures or for her now-much-in-public view romance with Abhishek Bachchan. Some of the supporters of the actress had alleged a few days back that the actress has been victimised and unnecessarily dragged into several controversies due to her close proximity with the Bachchans, thus bringing a political flavour to the whole episode.

source:zeenews