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Former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil , who has levelled allegations of bitcoins misappropriation against some opposition leaders in Maharashtra, on Wednesday said he has approached the Election Commission for a probe into the matter. Patil has claimed he is in possession of some voice notes of alleged conversations of these leaders, in which they are seeking encashment of bitcoins to fund elections. The BJP on Tuesday played purported voice notes of Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule to allege attempts to encash bitcoins to influence the state elections, claiming it poses a serious question on the conduct of polls in a free and fair manner.
Both Sule and Patole have denied the allegations. Speaking to PTI, Patil said the Pune police had roped him and cyber expert Pankaj Ghode to help investigate a 2018 case pertaining to a bitcoin cryptocurrency fraud. However, in 2022, when Amitabh Gupta was the Pune commissioner of police, Patil and Ghode were arrested for allegedly cheating investigators by fraudulently transferring money to the tune of several crores from a bitcoin wallet, he said.
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On November 17 this year, I started getting frantic calls on my Signal (app) account. When I checked the number, I found that it belonged to Gaurav Mehta who, as a forensic expert, had assisted police during a probe against me in the case," said Patil. He claimed Mehta shared with him 10 voice notes on the Signal app which had purported audios of Supriya Sule, Nana Patole, Amitabh Gupta and Bhagyashree Navtake, who was the DCP (cyber) when he was arrested.
You Might Also Like: Maharashtra Bitcoin row: BJP targets Supriya Sule, Nana Patole "I am in receipt of 10 audio clips of different people, including two politicians - Supriya Sule and Nana Patole - and three other persons -- IPS officer Amitabh Gupta, IPS officer Bhagyashree Navtake and Gaurav Mehta," Patil said. Three voice notes were sent by Sule to Mehta, in which she is purportedly heard asking the latter to encash the bitcoins as the funds are needed for elections and assuring him that he need not be worried about inquiries and once they come to power, they will handle them, he alleged. Patil also said there are voice notes of Patole purportedly asking Amitabh Gupta as to why money was not received and saying he should not make fun of him.
He claimed that in one of the voice notes, Gupta is purportedly heard giving instructions to Mehta to cash out the bitcoins. "I have written to the Election Commission today, asking to initiate a probe into the matter," Patil said. In his complaint sent to the EC via email, Patil stated that according to the chat messages which he claims to be in possession of, it appears that hundreds of bitcoins of billions of rupees may have been pumped in the previous Lok Sabha elections and during the ongoing assembly polls.
It also appears that Mehta is currently having the custody of the misappropriated bitcoins, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, Patil said in the complaint. "This is a very serious matter involving a criminal offence, blatant money laundering and use of massive cash during the election funding. Hence, it is requested to urgently investigate the matter.
I am ready to support the investigation whenever I am called for," he said. Patil also claimed that another thing uncovered on Wednesday is that there was, indeed, a cryptocurrency wallet which was stolen and the reference of that wallet is there in the chargesheet (in the case against him). "I got the documentary evidence and based on that I will move the high court and request it to direct the CBI to conduct a probe into the case.
Let the CBI conduct the probe and if required, I am ready to cooperate as a witness," he said. Meanwhile, in a post on X handle, Patole accused the BJP of trying to tarnish his and Congress party's image by making false allegations on the eve of polling. He asked the media to report on the matter after taking proper information and stop the "mischievous campaign" against him and his party being carried out "on BJP's instructions".
He warned of legal action against the media publications if they continue with the "false" reportage. Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat charged that the BJP was levelling false allegations against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as the ruling party was sure of its defeat. "BJP has roped in a former IPS officer, who is an accused in a case, to level false allegations and based on these charges, BJP leaders are targeting Nana Patole and Supriya Sule.
People of Maharashtra understand this conspiracy and BJP cannot avoid its defeat," he said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel ).
