bitcoin: Bitcoin scam: CID raids investigators

The Criminal Investigating Department (CID) conducted raids on the residences of five investigation officers linked to the Bitcoin scam, allegedly involved with the kingpin hacker in Karnataka. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) conducted these raids at seven locations against five investigating officers amid allegations that the officers mishandled the case and tampered with evidence, possibly in collusion with the alleged kingpin hacker, Sriki.

The raids were conducted in Bommanahalli, Koramangala and other locations.

CID special team had arrested Harvindar Singh, Nitin Mehsram and Darshit Patel recently in Nagpur, Maharashtra, in connection with the hacking of the e-procurement portal of Karnataka government by joining hands with the prime accused Sriki. The government had allotted the services of cyber forensic and crypto currency experts to assist the SIT team in probing the Bitcoin scam.

The SIT team had conducted raids on the residences of the main accused persons, including the alleged kingpin in Bengaluru, in connection with the Bitcoin scandal last month.

The Congress government had recently issued an order directing reinvestigation into the sensational Bitcoin scam allegedly involving top BJP leaders in the state.
Sources explain that the Bitcoin scandal had taken place after the arrest of alleged international hacker Srikrishna, a.k.a Sriki, by the CCB police in Bengaluru. It was alleged that the ruling BJP leaders had minted huge amounts of money using the accused hacker, allowing him to commit the scandal in custody in 2020.

The police had arrested the accused while allegedly selling drugs. The probe revealed that the accused had siphoned off Rs 11 crore by hacking into online gaming companies and government web portals. The accused had allegedly converted the money into Bitcoins and carried out drug peddling in Bengaluru.

In his series of tweets, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala had attacked the BJP central leadership and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai over the Bitcoin scandal.

“What is the role and responsibility of the Basavaraj Bommai? And others in the state government?” Surjewala had questioned, causing severe embarrassment to the BJP.