Vowing to fulfil one of its key pre-poll promises, the Congress government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Bitcoin case.
"We said we’d re-investigate the case if we came to power. Under the CID, we’ve constituted an SIT for which an order has been issued. The SIT has been given appropriate instructions. If it needs technical assistance, the government will issue the necessary orders,” Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Monday. He added that the government would also seek central agencies’ help. “If (central agencies) refuse, we will figure out something,” he said.
Manish Kharbikar, ADGP, Economic Offences, CID, will head the SIT. Three other senior officers — C Vamsi Krishna, DIGP, Economic Offenses, CID; Dr Anoop A Shetty, DCP, Administration, Bengaluru City, and M D Sharath, SP, Economic Offenses and Cyber Crimes — are the other members of the team.
Some politicians and senior bureaucrats allegedly received monetary benefits in the Bitcoin case linked to suspected drug peddler and master hacker Srikrishna alias Sriki.
Srikrishna was first arrested by CCB on Nov 17, 2020, in a drug-peddling case.
Cops uncovered a wider network involving the hacking of e-governance and other websites and siphoning off money through Bitcoins.
Observers say the case was the fallout of professional jealousy between the CID and the Bengaluru police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB).
Published 03 July 2023, 10:43 IST