BENGALURU: Rebutting the claims made by Congress leader Priyank Kharge that 0.08 Bitcoins related to a the Bitcoin case has disappeared, the city police have issued a clarification again stating that the same has been transferred to the police wallet and is in safe custody.
Kharge had alleged that Bitcoins moved to the wallet had turned zero the next day. Referring to media reports and without taking Kharge’s name, the police firmly stated that it is an absolutely false claim. “It is to clarify that 0.08 Bitcoins along with other 3 Cryptocurrencies (worth Rs. 2,50,438 as per the then rates) were seized from the account of Robin Khandelwala and transferred to police wallet in the presence of panchas.
The same was duly intimated to the court. This fact has been mentioned to the court along with the chargesheet. The currencies are safely placed in the police wallet,” an official release stated. Khandelwala is a close aide of hacker Srikrishna alias Sriki and it is alleged that he is the one who turned the cryptocurrencies hacked by Sriki to cash.
To another allegation of conflict of interest levelled by Kharge stating that the police had opened the wallet on Unocoin, a crypto assets trading firm that was allegedly hacked by Sriki, the police stated that Unocoin is one of the very few Bitcoin exchanges operating in India and it has filed statutory returns under law.
“Besides, being located in Bengaluru, its experts could join investigation conveniently. Though the Unocoin account was hacked for a small amount, there was nothing adverse against the company making them ineligible to assist in the investigation,” the release said.
‘No one will be spared’
HUBBALLI: Senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Thursday said that the State Government will not spare anyone involved in the Bitcoin scam. Speaking to the media before leaving to Uttara Kannada to take part in the Jan Swaraj Yatra, Yediyurappa said Opposition leaders should provide evidence to substantiate their allegations. “If it is found that anyone from the BJP is involved, stern action will be taken against them too,” he added. “To cover-up the infighting in the party, they (Congress leaders) are hitting out at the BJP and the State Government,” he charged.