Bitcoin scam: Cops to provide gunman to accused Sriki, but there's no trace of him

BENGALURU: The main accused in the Bitcoin scam, Sri Krishna alias Sriki, has gone incommunicado, despite the police deciding to provide a gunman to the hacker, whose revelations have become a political hot potato now.

A police team visited Sriki’s address on Tuesday morning to consider providing him a gunman.“But he was not present in the house and his family members told us that Sriki had not come home for the last few days. They also did not have any clue of his whereabouts.

We tried calling him on his mobile phone, but it was switched off. We went to his house again on Wednesday, but it was the same story. We have told the family members to inform us soon after they establish contact with Sriki,” a senior police officer said.

The police are inquiring with Sriki’s friends to trace him and provide him security as soon as possible. Police Commissioner Kamal Pant too said that a gunman will be provided to Sriki. On Monday, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah had demanded Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to ensure adequate protection to Sriki as “many influential people are said to be involved in the scam and hence protecting him becomes necessary”. There were reports on Wednesday afternoon that Sriki had been arrested by the police in Chennai, but it turned out to be false.

Sriki’s laptops sent for forensic analysis

The Jeevan Bima Nagar (JB Nagar) police on Tuesday sent Sriki’s four laptops for digital forensic
analysis. The JB Nagar police had arrested Sriki and his friend Vishnu Bhat on November 6 in an alleged
assault incident at a star hotel. As part of the probe, the police had searched Sriki’s room and
seized the four laptops. The police had obtained permission from a city court on November 11 to subject the laptops for forensic analysis, to know whether he is involved in any fresh cyber crimes.