A prisoner at Hindalga prison in Belgaum has contacted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Bitcoin scam. In the letter, the prisoner requests an investigation into a senior official accused of transferring bitcoins from hacker Srikrishna Ramesh, also known as Sriki, and allegedly receiving gold bars.
The letter, dated June 11 reveals that Nagendra, the convict, wrote to SIT Chief Manish Karbikar, accusing Deputy Inspector-General (North), Prisons, T.P. Shesha, and other officials of assaulting him. He alleges they threatened him not to disclose information about the bitcoin transaction. He further claimed that on January 16, 2021, Mr. Shesha, who was serving as DIG (South) at the time, facilitated the unauthorized provision of a laptop to Sriki by prison staff. This allowed Sriki to transfer bitcoins amounting to ₹20 crore to the digital wallet of a prison inmate, who is the son of a well-known jewelry shop owner and an associate of Sriki.
After sending the letter, Additional Inspector-General (AIG) Anand Reddy visited the prison on June 26 to investigate the claims. The inmate provided a statement regarding the alleged mistreatment but emphasized that statements concerning bitcoins would only be given to the SIT. On June 29, the convict once more wrote to the SIT chief, requesting to formally provide his statement.
On June 19, the State Human Rights Commission sent a letter to the Director-General of Police (DGP), Prisons, directing an investigation into the accusations and requiring a report by September 10.
In response, Mr. Shesha, speaking to The Hindu, described the allegations as “baseless and untrue.” He stated, “I have written to the prison DGP refuting these allegations and asserting that they are part of a conspiracy against me.”
