Congress leaders allege influential politicians are involved in the Bitcoin scam after officials seized bitcoins worth ₹ 9 crores.
A 26-year-old accused in Karnataka’s alleged Bitcoin scam had informed the police that he had twice hacked the Bitfinex exchange during his stay in the Netherlands.
The Congress party questions the Center’s silence and lack of action in an apparent coverup when the hacker was initially nabbed. The pary held a detailed press conference led by Randeep Surjewala Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson who spoke about the scam of the ₹ 9 crores from a city-based hacker, Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki, who is also accused of hacking into government portals, sourcing drugs through the dark net, and paying for it through cryptocurrency.
The Congress party has claimed that the size of the scam could be much bigger because just on two days on December 1, 2020, and April 14, 2021, illegal transactions worth ₹ 5,240 crores took place. Of note, one bitcoin is worth over 50 lac.
Congress has also asked why Sriki, has been in police custody for more than 100 days on “one pretext or the other”, while no proper action was taken against him when no one should be in police custody for more than three days without defining the conclusion of the arrest.
Addressing a press conference, Surjewala posed six questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking what was the role of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who was the state’s home minister when the scam took place.
He asked why international investigative agencies, including Interpol, were not informed about the stolen Bitcoins.
“India’s biggest ever ‘Bitcoin Scam’ has been unearthed in Karnataka. Instead of conducting a fair investigation, the BJP government of Karnataka appears to be preoccupied with ‘Operation Bitcoin Scam Coverup’,” he said.
“This is not a money laundering crime alone, this is an international crime. Considering how shoddily and compromised the investigation has been done, I don’t think that the ED (Enforcement Directorate) or Karnataka Police can do a fair job. That is why we demand that an SIT (special investigation team) should be set up and monitored by the Supreme Court which should investigate this case and bring out the truth,” the Congress leader said.
Rahul Gandhi said, “Bitcoin Scam is big.
But Bitcoin Scam Cover-up is much bigger.
Because it has to cover up someone’s fake big ego.”
Bitcoin Scam is big.
But Bitcoin Scam Cover-up is much bigger.
Because it has to cover up someone’s fake big ego.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 13, 2021
The “operation coverup”, “concealment”, "deception”, “intrigue”, “whitewash”, raises serious questions on those in the corridors of power in Karnataka. The silence of the PM and HM on the entire issue is even more shocking.: Shri @rssurjewala#BJPBitcoinScamCoverUp pic.twitter.com/Bk2k4N6wyb
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 13, 2021
The party has also demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe as it has international consequences.
They also asked, “Why is the BJP in Karnataka & the Centre focusing on “Operation Coverup” instead of ensuring fair investigation?
The PM & the HM must answer.
#BJPBitcoinScamCoverUp
Why is the BJP in Karnataka & the Centre focusing on "Operation Coverup" instead of ensuring fair investigation?
The PM & the HM must answer.#BJPBitcoinScamCoverUp pic.twitter.com/kwdgttYjwj
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 13, 2021
In the meantime, the Karnataka Chief Minister meets BS Yediyurappa as the Bitcoin scam scandal explodes. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called on former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and the two leaders reportedly had a discussion of about 30 minutes late on Friday, sources close to Mr Bommai said.
After his meeting with Mr Yediyurappa, Mr Bommai went to the BJP state headquarters and met with the BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel for more than an hour.
The meetings gather significance as Mr Bommai had recently visited Delhi and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior party leaders, including BJP national president J P Nadda. Soon after the meeting, he told reporters that PM Modi had asked him not to worry and to work with loyalty and boldness in the interest of the people “and rest everything will be fine.”
Mr Bommai came to Delhi on Thursday for two days and discussed in detail many issues, especially related to the administrative steps taken in the last 100 days since he took over as Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Stating his visit to the national capital was successful, he said that the Prime Minister was all praise for some of his initiatives during this period.
Soon after his return, senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar hastened to Delhi, which gave rise to speculation.
Surjewala ended with the words dal main kuch kala hain nahi lekhin dal hi kala hain meaning, the dal does not have something black in it, but the dal is entirely black emphasizing the massive shadiness of the bitcoin transaction.