sriki: 11 bitcoin fraud cases in Karnataka in 3 years | Hubballi News
BELAGAVI: The Karnataka police registered 11 cases related to cryptocurrency fraud in the past three years and this includes two involving hacker Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki.
In reply to a question by Congress MLC UB Venkatesh, home minister Araga Jnanendra on Thursday said police are investigating them and the scale of the scam is yet to be established.
Jnanendra, however, said police have so far recovered only Rs 29 lakh in nine cases, which fraudsters claimed to have either invested in bitcoins or made investors believe they will invest in bitcoin. The total value of the nine cases is claimed in FIRs at Rs 2 crore.
According to the home minister, the accused in at least three cases are absconding while cases have been filed in the rest.
When questioned about involvement of police in cases related to Sriki, Jnanendra dismissed all accusations and said police have done their duty. “There is no scam but only fraud,” he claimed.
Not satisfied with the response, Congress legislators requested council chairman Basavaraj Horatti to have a detailed discussion on the issue and asked opposition leader SR Patil to give a written request. The Congress has been demanding a probe into the bitcoin scandal involving Sriki, alleging that the BJP government has let him off to protect some politicians. “It is a multi-country investigation and the truth must come out. The government is either colluding or is working shoddily in the investigation,” AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala had alleged.
Sriki was arrested on November 6 in a hotel brawl case and let off on bail. His father, Gopal Ramesh, had moved the Karnataka high court in February, seeking the transfer of all cases against his son to the CBI.
In reply to a question by Congress MLC UB Venkatesh, home minister Araga Jnanendra on Thursday said police are investigating them and the scale of the scam is yet to be established.
Jnanendra, however, said police have so far recovered only Rs 29 lakh in nine cases, which fraudsters claimed to have either invested in bitcoins or made investors believe they will invest in bitcoin. The total value of the nine cases is claimed in FIRs at Rs 2 crore.
According to the home minister, the accused in at least three cases are absconding while cases have been filed in the rest.
When questioned about involvement of police in cases related to Sriki, Jnanendra dismissed all accusations and said police have done their duty. “There is no scam but only fraud,” he claimed.
Not satisfied with the response, Congress legislators requested council chairman Basavaraj Horatti to have a detailed discussion on the issue and asked opposition leader SR Patil to give a written request. The Congress has been demanding a probe into the bitcoin scandal involving Sriki, alleging that the BJP government has let him off to protect some politicians. “It is a multi-country investigation and the truth must come out. The government is either colluding or is working shoddily in the investigation,” AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala had alleged.
Sriki was arrested on November 6 in a hotel brawl case and let off on bail. His father, Gopal Ramesh, had moved the Karnataka high court in February, seeking the transfer of all cases against his son to the CBI.