In a high-stakes crackdown, India’s Enforcement Directorate concluded an exhaustive 21-hour search and seizure drive targeting a money laundering racket tied to Bitcoin dealings. The operations, spanning Karnataka and focusing on Bengaluru, implicated top Congress leaders and their associates in what could be a major political scandal.
Launching at 6 AM Monday, teams of over 100 officers raided homes of N.A. Harris, a Congress MLA serving as BDA Chairman, and his son Mohammad Nalpad, head of the state Youth Congress. Additional searches hit properties of Akib Khan, connected to former minister K. Rahman Khan’s family. The probe’s linchpin: a Rs 4.65 crore money trail leading to scam kingpin Sriki.
Accusations fly that Nalpad funneled cash to bankroll Sriki’s lavish habits, spotlighting a bizarre Porsche purchase saga. Alongside Sriki and an IPS officer’s son, Nalpad eyed a used luxury sedan at a Lavelle Road dealership. A test drive turned chaotic when Sriki smoked inside, clashing with staff, yet they sealed the deal at Rs 57 lakh.
Post-purchase, the car became a symbol of recklessness—littered with ash, seats scorched by lighters. Flipped back for Rs 47 lakh, the transaction bore Nalpad’s fingerprints. Prior probes by CID and SIT in 2024 had Nalpad on record, but ED’s PMLA lens now amplifies the stakes.
Protected by CRPF at 12 sites, the raids signal ED’s aggressive pursuit of crypto-fueled laundering networks infiltrating politics. Sriki faces intense grilling, with bank details next in line. This unfolding drama threatens to shake Karnataka’s power corridors, exposing intersections of crime, cash, and Congress clout.
