NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Thursday slammed the BJP, saying that the saffron party has become a platform for 'black money conversion', 'extortion' and 'hawala transaction' and demanded a Supreme Court monitored Judicial investigation on the alleged 'Bitcoin scam' in Gujarat.
Addressing mediapersons here, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that the finger of suspicion of this alleged scam of illegal cryptocurrency directly points to several BJP leaders and the 'mastermind', former MLA Nalin Kotadiva, who Mr Gohil claimed is 'absconding'.
"The modus operandi of this scam is multi layered and is like a Pandora's Box" whereby illegal 'hawala transactions', 'kidnappings', 'extortion of cryptocurrency' using CBI, Police and Government authorities at the behest of top BJP leaders in Gujarat is a norm", he alleged.
Mr Gohil also claimed that amount of this 'mega Bitcoin scam' has been estimated by the Gujarat CID as more than Rs 5000 crore, although many news reports are indicated that the amount of the scam would be Rs 88,000 crores.
Narrating the developments in the case, Mr Gohil said that the details of the scam has surfaced when one Shailesh Bhatt complained to Gujarat's Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja against the Amreli district police that they have extorted 200 bitcoins (Rs 10 Crore) and demanded Rs 32 crores in cash.
According to Mr Gohil, the Gujarat CID arrested Amreli Police SP Jagdish Patel, Inspector Anant Patel and 10 constables in this case, and he claimed that the CID has discovered the mastermind of the scam was Mr Nalin Kotadiya.
"Even as the Police and CID searched the whereabouts of the mastermind Nalin Kotadiya, he is now absconding but a video of him saying that if he is arrested, then he will reveal damning evidences which would expose top BJP leaders in the state - who were converting 'black money' to 'white' during demonetisation", Mr Gohil alleged.
The Congress leader claimed that Shailesh Bhatt kidnapped one Piyush Savalia who was associated with Bitconnect on January 30 released two days later.
"Mr Bhatt then kidnapped Dhaval Mavani who was able to transfer 2256 bitcoins worth Rs 131 crores to Mr Bhatt securing his release.Mr Bhatt secured another Rs 10 crores worth bitcoins before being stung by Amreli Police", said, Mr Gohil.
However, Mr Gohil alleged the Gujarat CID is trying to pressurise the witnesses of this case for political reasons.
"Surprisingly, a second complaint filed by the CID crime, wherein the main accused is now Mr Bhatt, who was sufferer in the initial case.
Instead of making him the complainant in the first case, the CID at the behest of MoS Home, made the police 'the complainant'", alleged Mr Gohil.
Mr Gohil asked at whose behest the Amreli Police extorted bitcoins and money through middlemen from investors and why did the investigation agencies not make Mr Bhatt, as a 'complainant' in the FIR that was filed in the first case? "The complainant has himself stated in his statement that a CBI Inspector extorted Rs 5 Crore from him to not initiate any action.
Why is he has not been made an accused but only transferred from Gujarat to North East?", asked Mr Gohil.
He also demanded to investigate "whether the demonetisaion used to cover to convert 'black money to 'white' by BJP leaders in Gujarat and dupe investigators through multiple extortion of illicit money".