Bitcoin scam: Not protecting anyone, says Bommai

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday clarified that none of the members of his government is involved in the Bitcoin scam and challenged opposition Congress to provide documentary evidence to investigating agencies probing it.

“Let those making allegations provide evidence as to what the scam is all about and who all are involved. As our government is open to the probe by any investigative agency, the truth will come out. These are baseless estimations of the extent of the scam with no evidence,” he told reporters after taking part in the felicitation of Justice Aravind Kumar, who has been elevated as the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, at the conference hall in Vidhana Soudha.

Bommai reiterated that there is no question of protecting anybody and that the case was transferred to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) 8-9 months ago. The CBI and Interpol too are investigating as the case has international ramifications, he added. Asked whether it will spell a doom to him as chief minister, he rubbished it, saying the allegations are politically motivated. “I do not like to react to the issue every day,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Congress upped the ante by demanding a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge.
Terming it the first and biggest Bitcoin scam in the country, Congress leader and former information technology minister Priyank Kharge said the scam needs an impartial probe. “The investigation in the case is not aimed at bringing out the truth. They are trying to cover it up,” he said. 

Citing a petition filed by the father of the accused Srikirshna alias Sriki in the court, he said the accused was allegedly administered mind-altering drugs when he was in police custody. “The government must explain why the drugs were given to the accused. Can it be done without the knowledge of senior officers in the department and the minister,” he asked.

There have been several lapses in the probe, including taking a junior lineman and powerman from the Bescom HSR Division as witnesses during the ‘’panchanama” for the recovery of 31 Bitcoins worth Rs 9 crore from Srikrishna’s wallet, he said. “When the police opened the wallet to transfer 31 Bitcoins, they found 186.8 Bitcoins and they decided to transfer it to the police wallet. But they found out that the transaction ID never existed,” he said, indicating that the officials were hoodwinked.

He alleged that Bitcoins worth Rs 100 crore are missing and the government must explain what happened to them. “According to Sriki’s voluntarily signed statement before the cybercrime police inspector states that he had hacked 5,000 Bitcoins worth Rs 2,500 crore. Where are they now? How much has he used and how much has he distributed,” he asked.

Kharge said the accused was booked in different cases from November 17, 2020 and the police kept extending his custody without bringing the case to the notice of Central agencies. The state government wrote to Central agencies only after they sought information from the state government, he said.
“Bommai had claimed it to be a non-issue. If that were to be the case, why did he take it up with the PM,” he asked.

Kharge said the Congress will take the case to a logical end and even consider filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). He had earlier stated that if an impartial probe is conducted into the case, Karnataka would see a third BJP chief minister.

Asked why the Congress government did not take action in the 2018 pub brawl case in which Srikrishna was also an accused, he said that there is no link between that and Bitcoin case. “BJP is only trying to divert attention. Let them stop blackmailing us. If Congress leaders are involved, let them take action,” he added.

Police used Sriki to do jobs for them: Father
bengaluru: Hacker Sriki’s father Gopal Ramesh on Friday moved court, accusing police of using drugs to get some jobs done by his son, and sought an investigation into it. However, he was pressured to withdraw the petition. Incidentally, court records reveal that Shriki, who had initially denied he had consumed drugs during police custody in January early this year, had admitted he used Alprazolam. But police said that though the accused (Shriki) had claimed he had taken Alprazolam as recommended by a NIMHANS doctor, they had not allowed him to take any such medication in police custody. The court directed that Sriki be subjected to medical tests to determine whether he had consumed Alprazolam, and its effects.