The Special Investigation Team (SIT) from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted an interview with a convicted murderer, Nagendra, at Hindalga prison in Belgaum on July 9 regarding his involvement in a bitcoin scam. Nagendra had contacted the SIT chief, volunteering to provide information about the scam, citing his presence during the incident at Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru.
Nagendra had written to the SIT chief claiming that during his time at Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru, police and prison officials facilitated the smuggling of a laptop to hacker Srikrishna Ramesh, also known as Sriki, to aid in the transfer of bitcoins.
In his letter, Nagendra claimed that he was cautioned against discussing the transfer of bitcoins, reportedly by a Director General of Police (DGP). According to Nagendra, on January 16, 2021, a laptop was illicitly delivered to Srikrishna Ramesh, known as Sriki, allegedly to facilitate the transfer of bitcoins valued at ₹20 crore to the digital wallet of a prison inmate. This inmate is said to be the son of a well-known jewelry store owner and an associate of Sriki.
According to sources, Nagendra asserts knowledge of the exact details of how the transaction occurred within the jail and identifies the prison official responsible for it.
The Bitcoin scandal involving Srikrishna Ramesh, known as Sriki, and his associates has sparked a political controversy in Karnataka. The Congress party has accused top BJP leaders, who were in power during the hacker’s arrest, of receiving kickbacks in cryptocurrency in collusion with police officials. In response, the Congress government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged scam.
In a recent development, the Karnataka High Court ruled the invocation of the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA), 2000, against Sriki in the initial 2017 case as “illegal.”
