The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Srikrishna, also known as Sriki, a key accused in the alleged Bitcoin scam and hacking of the Karnataka government’s e-procurement portal. Alongside Sriki, Robin Khandeval and Sunish Hegde were also arrested after an extensive investigation spanning several years. These arrests follow ED raids at 12 locations on April 20, including premises associated with Sriki, Mohammed Nalapad, and Hakeeb Rahman Khan.
Political focus has now turned to Mohammed Nalapad following Sriki’s arrest, with increased scrutiny on his involvement in the case. Investigators are delving into Nalapad’s suspected connections with Sriki and other individuals implicated in the scam. The ED is currently scrutinizing Nalapad’s role and gathering evidence of his alleged links with multiple accused persons, with Nalapad having been questioned twice by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) during the state police probe.
The case revolves around the hacking of the Karnataka government’s e-procurement website and the illicit transfer of government funds to various accounts. In response to the allegations, the Karnataka government initiated a CID SIT investigation. Authorities uncovered cryptocurrency theft and illegal transfers through digital wallets during the probe, revealing links between Nalapad and some of the accused individuals. Sriki, Robin Khandeval, and Sunish Hegde, the three arrested suspects, were presented before a judge and subsequently remanded to ED custody for 10 days till May 19 by the ED Special Court.
