ED records statement in Bitcoin scam; CBI asks suspect to appear

Mumbai: The ED and the CBI on Wednesday ramped up their investigations against Bitcoin Ponzi ‘scam’ suspect Gaurav Mehta, a day after the BJP made public voice notes to allege that Congress and NCP (SP) leaders were trying to encash cryptocurrency to influence the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The allegations were refuted by NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole who termed the voice notes released by the BJP on the eve of polling as fake.

Gaurav Mehta, an audit company employee, was at the centre of the action taken by the two federal probe agencies on Wednesday with the ED carrying out searches at his Raipur residence, while the CBI issued summons to him seeking his presence before the investigating officer as soon as possible. The CBI has registered three cases related to the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi scheme case last month on the orders of the Supreme Court issued in December, 2023.

The ED questioned Mehta and recorded his statement during the searches. It also seized some computers and digital devices.

ED officials said the agency has widened its ongoing money laundering probe into a crypto (Bitcoin) assets ponzi scam and is investigating the “links” of Mehta and some others with politicians, politically exposed persons and bureaucrats.

The agency attached assets worth Rs 98 crore of actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra in April as part of this crypto-ponzi probe. The couple challenged the ED action and got relief from the Bombay High Court.

It was alleged by the ED that the bitcoins were to be utilised for mining and investors were supposed to get huge returns in crypto assets but the promoters “cheated” the investors and have been concealing the “ill-gotten” bitcoins in obscure online wallets.

Kundra, the ED alleged, received 285 bitcoins from the “mastermind” and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi “scam” Amit Bhardwaj for “setting up” a bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine. These bitcoins were sourced from the “proceeds of crime” collected by Amit Bhardwaj from gullible investors, it said.

The agency arrested three people – Simpy Bhardwaj, Nitin Gaur and Nikhil Mahajan – in the case last year.

Main accused Ajay Bhardwaj and Mahendra Bhardwaj are absconding, the ED said, adding that it attached properties worth Rs 69 crore in the case earlier.Two chargesheets have been filed in the case till now. The BJP on Tuesday played purported voice notes of Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra

Congress chief Patole.