f Rahul Gandhi alleged that the scam is big but the curtain is huge. (file)
New Delhi:
The Congress on Saturday accused the multi-crore bitcoin scam and its concealment by the BJP government in Karnataka and demanded an independent probe by the Supreme Court-monitored SIT.
Former party president Rahul Gandhi alleged that the scam is big but the curtain is huge.
Taking to Twitter, he said, “Bitcoin scam is big. But bitcoin scam cover-up is huge. Because it has to cover up one’s fake big ego.”
The bitcoin scam is big.
But the bitcoin scam cover-up is huge.
Because in this one has to cover up one’s fake big ego.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 13, 2021
Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala posed a set of six questions to the prime minister and asked what was the role of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who was the state’s home minister when the scam broke out.
He asked why international investigative agencies, including Interpol, were not informed about the stolen bitcoins.
He alleged, “India’s biggest ever ‘Bitcoin scam’ has come to light in Karnataka. Instead of conducting a fair investigation, the BJP government of Karnataka is busy with ‘Operation Bitcoin Scam Coverup’.”
“It is not a money laundering crime alone, it is an international crime. Considering how shoddy and compromised the investigation is, I don’t think the ED (Enforcement Directorate) or the Karnataka Police can do a proper job. That is why we Demand that an SIT (Special Investigation Team) should be constituted and supervised by the Supreme Court to probe the matter and bring out the truth,” the Congress leader said.
Mr Surjewala also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence in the matter and claimed that the FBI had informed the Prime Minister about it during his recent visit to the US.
“It is a multi-country investigation and the truth must come out. The government is either in collusion or is doing a shoddy job in the investigation. Doubts are being raised on Basavaraj Bommai’s reputation and his political career and reputation. So he has to take it. The government should write a letter to constitute a SIT under the supervision of the Supreme Court for investigation.”
Surjewala, along with party spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh, alleged that Srikrishna, an alleged hacker, along with his associate Robin Khandelwal was arrested by the Karnataka Police on November 14 last year and kept in police custody for over 100 days after repeated arrests. had gone. At least five criminal cases registered one after the other. He was released on bail on April 17 this year.
He alleged that Sri Krishna made a voluntary statement before the Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru in December 2020, in which he allegedly named various foreign companies/portals that were hacked by him, and earned millions of dollars illegally. Had gone.
Congress leaders also alleged that Srikrishna was involved in the alleged hacking of bitcoin/cryptocurrency exchanges and websites, including Bitfinex, which is registered in the well-known tax haven, British Virgin Islands, and reports suggest it was hacked on August 2, 2016. And 1 was hacked. 20,000 bitcoins were stolen. However, in his voluntary statement, he admitted to taking 2000 bitcoins.
He stated that “Whale Alert” is a Twitter account that largely tracks cryptocurrency transactions and shows that on December 1, 2020, and April 14, 2021, the 2016 hacks of the Bitfinex bitcoin exchange resulted in bitcoin being traded. was transferred and its value is estimated to be USD 704.8 million (equivalent to Rs 5,240 crore).
“Despite several transnational offenses of significant magnitude, Interpol was not notified for more than five months. Only on April 24, 2021, more than five months after the initial arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, did not report to the Interpol Liaison Officer (IPO). CBI). , was the home minister of the state from 2019 to July 28, 2021.
“Should the then Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai be punished for not taking action in the matter,” he asked, alleging that the fraud took place under his watch and when the accused was kept in custody.
Who Are the Actors in the “Bitcoin Coverup Scam”? Were the stolen bitcoins transferred from the wallet of alleged hacker Srikrishna? How many bitcoins and of what value? How then does the Bengaluru police suggest (in its third panchnama on January 22, 2021) that 31 and 186 bitcoins allegedly transferred to police wallets were lost or found to be counterfeit transactions,” he asked.
He also asked what was the role and responsibility of Bommai and others in the state government.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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