Launching a scathing attack on BJP, Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi accused the party of capturing institutional framework of the country. Speaking at a rally in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra on March 15, Gandhi labeled this alleged act as biggest anti-national activity currently underway in India. He highlighted the purported misuse of institutions such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Income Tax departments for political gains.
Tag: Central Bureau of Investigation
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CBI begins probe into illegal felling of 6,000 trees at Pakhro Tiger Safari in Corbett
Express News Service
DEHRADUN: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started investigating the tiger safari construction case in Jim Corbett National Park. The CBI had sought documents related to vigilance in the case, which was confirmed by State Vigilance Director Dr V Murugesan that, “the documents sought by the CBI related to the case have been handed over to them”.
According to the highly placed official sources, “The CBI is likely to soon start questioning the officials concerned as well as former forest minister Harak Singh Rawat in this matter”.
The CBI is investigating the case on the directions of the Nainital High Court. Earlier, the High Court had taken a tough stand on the illegal construction and felling of more than 6,000 trees during the construction of Pakhro Tiger Safari in the Corbett tiger reserve area. The High Court had asked the government why the case should not be investigated by the CBI.
In this case, Dehradun resident Anu Pant had filed a public interest petition in the High Court. The petitioner told the court that several reports regarding the illegal felling of 6,000 trees in Corbett were placed before the court. All these reports were shown in detail by the petitioner’s lawyer Abhijay Negi to the court.
According to sources, “In this case, the CBI may first question about a dozen forest officials, employees and contractors working in the range, including retired and current forest officers associated with the Pakhro Safari construction”.
Sources also revealed, “The main focal point of the CBI probe will also be the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat, as vigilance and other investigations are clearly of the opinion that work was started at Corbett Tiger Safari without financial and other clearances under pressure from the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat”.
So far, investigations by eight agencies have revealed irregularities in the construction of the tiger safari and other tourist facilities at Jim Corbett. More trees were cut than the number, and all kinds of construction were carried out without financial and administrative approval. Boundary walls and buildings were also constructed in the national park.
DEHRADUN: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started investigating the tiger safari construction case in Jim Corbett National Park. The CBI had sought documents related to vigilance in the case, which was confirmed by State Vigilance Director Dr V Murugesan that, “the documents sought by the CBI related to the case have been handed over to them”.
According to the highly placed official sources, “The CBI is likely to soon start questioning the officials concerned as well as former forest minister Harak Singh Rawat in this matter”.
The CBI is investigating the case on the directions of the Nainital High Court. Earlier, the High Court had taken a tough stand on the illegal construction and felling of more than 6,000 trees during the construction of Pakhro Tiger Safari in the Corbett tiger reserve area. The High Court had asked the government why the case should not be investigated by the CBI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
In this case, Dehradun resident Anu Pant had filed a public interest petition in the High Court. The petitioner told the court that several reports regarding the illegal felling of 6,000 trees in Corbett were placed before the court. All these reports were shown in detail by the petitioner’s lawyer Abhijay Negi to the court.
According to sources, “In this case, the CBI may first question about a dozen forest officials, employees and contractors working in the range, including retired and current forest officers associated with the Pakhro Safari construction”.
Sources also revealed, “The main focal point of the CBI probe will also be the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat, as vigilance and other investigations are clearly of the opinion that work was started at Corbett Tiger Safari without financial and other clearances under pressure from the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat”.
So far, investigations by eight agencies have revealed irregularities in the construction of the tiger safari and other tourist facilities at Jim Corbett. More trees were cut than the number, and all kinds of construction were carried out without financial and administrative approval. Boundary walls and buildings were also constructed in the national park.
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CBI questions Satya Pal Malik in Rs 300 crore bribery claim
By IANS
NEW DELHI: Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Saturday that former Governor of J&K and Meghalaya, Satya Pal Malik, was questioned in connection with his claim that he was offered Rs 300 crore to clear two files during his tenure as J&K Governor.
The CBI had registered two separate cases following allegations levelled by Malik of malpractices in awarding contract of J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to a private company and release of Rs 60 crore in 2017-18. The second case was lodged on the allegation that a civil works contract worth Rs 2,200 crore for Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project was given to a private firm flouting the rules in 2019.
Malik was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 2018 and October 2019.
After lodging these two cases, the probe agency had formed several teams to unearth the entire conspiracy.
In April, the CBI had raided 14 locations across the country, including the residence of senior IAS officer Navin Choudhary. The raids were conducted in Jammu, Srinagar, Mumbai, Noida, Delhi, Trivandrum and Darbhanga.
NEW DELHI: Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Saturday that former Governor of J&K and Meghalaya, Satya Pal Malik, was questioned in connection with his claim that he was offered Rs 300 crore to clear two files during his tenure as J&K Governor.
The CBI had registered two separate cases following allegations levelled by Malik of malpractices in awarding contract of J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to a private company and release of Rs 60 crore in 2017-18. The second case was lodged on the allegation that a civil works contract worth Rs 2,200 crore for Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project was given to a private firm flouting the rules in 2019.
Malik was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 2018 and October 2019.
After lodging these two cases, the probe agency had formed several teams to unearth the entire conspiracy.
In April, the CBI had raided 14 locations across the country, including the residence of senior IAS officer Navin Choudhary. The raids were conducted in Jammu, Srinagar, Mumbai, Noida, Delhi, Trivandrum and Darbhanga.
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Uttar Pradesh: Court rejects CBI closure report over death of Karnataka IAS officer
Express News Service
LUCKNOW: The second closure report of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari was rejected by a special judicial magistrate on Monday.
The 2007-batch IAS officer was found dead mysteriously by the roadside in front of the government guest house in which he had stayed in Lucknow five years ago.
Ruling out any foul play, the CBI closure report, filed in January 2021, had claimed that the IAS officer’s death was accidentally caused by asphyxia as a result of positional smothering. The court posted the matter for the next hearing on October 14.
The court, in its elaborate order, stated: “Asphyxia due to smothering is caused by blocking air entry into the lungs by simultaneous closure of nose and mouth. The viscera report of the deceased shows that there was no alcohol that could lead to intoxication and the nicotine content was 319ng/L, which is not enough to cause a person to lose balance in his body.
Even the stomach content of the deceased, as per the post-mortem report, showed 520 ml of undigested food. However, a person suffering from acute diarrhoea consuming more than 520 ml of food and thereafter going for a walk at 4 am and losing balance and lying in a position that causes smothering and ultimately his death seems unlikely,” the court said while rejecting the CBI closure report.
The IAS officer hailed from Bahraich in UP. He was posted as civil and supplies commissioner in Karnataka and had come to Lucknow, after returning from a mid-career training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, when he was found dead in mysterious circumstances outside the State Guest House on Mirabai Marg on May 17, 2017.
The city police conducted the probe and then the case was handed over to the CBI within a month.
After its probe, the CBI submitted its first closure report on February 19, 2019, but the court rejected the report and asked the agency to re-investigate the case. The second closure report was filed on January 28, 2021. The court rejected it again on Monday.
LUCKNOW: The second closure report of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari was rejected by a special judicial magistrate on Monday.
The 2007-batch IAS officer was found dead mysteriously by the roadside in front of the government guest house in which he had stayed in Lucknow five years ago.
Ruling out any foul play, the CBI closure report, filed in January 2021, had claimed that the IAS officer’s death was accidentally caused by asphyxia as a result of positional smothering. The court posted the matter for the next hearing on October 14.
The court, in its elaborate order, stated: “Asphyxia due to smothering is caused by blocking air entry into the lungs by simultaneous closure of nose and mouth. The viscera report of the deceased shows that there was no alcohol that could lead to intoxication and the nicotine content was 319ng/L, which is not enough to cause a person to lose balance in his body.
Even the stomach content of the deceased, as per the post-mortem report, showed 520 ml of undigested food. However, a person suffering from acute diarrhoea consuming more than 520 ml of food and thereafter going for a walk at 4 am and losing balance and lying in a position that causes smothering and ultimately his death seems unlikely,” the court said while rejecting the CBI closure report.
The IAS officer hailed from Bahraich in UP. He was posted as civil and supplies commissioner in Karnataka and had come to Lucknow, after returning from a mid-career training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, when he was found dead in mysterious circumstances outside the State Guest House on Mirabai Marg on May 17, 2017.
The city police conducted the probe and then the case was handed over to the CBI within a month.
After its probe, the CBI submitted its first closure report on February 19, 2019, but the court rejected the report and asked the agency to re-investigate the case. The second closure report was filed on January 28, 2021. The court rejected it again on Monday.
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CBI team visits Goa hotel where Sonali Phogat had stayed
By PTI
PANAJI: A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday visited the hotel at Anjuna in North Goa district where BJP leader Sonali Phogat was staying at the time of her death last month.
A senior Goa police officer said the process of transfer of the investigation into the Phogat death case to the CBI was almost over.
The CBI team which arrived in Goa on Friday has been visiting all the places related to Phogat’s death, he said.
On Saturday, the team inspected the rooms at the hotel in Anjuna where both Phogat and her associates — now arrested for their alleged role in her death — were staying, the official said.
“The team was at the hotel for the entire day and they also questioned several staff members,” he said.
Police have arrested five people including Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Singh in connection with the case. Both had travelled to Goa with Phogat, a former TikTok star.
PANAJI: A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday visited the hotel at Anjuna in North Goa district where BJP leader Sonali Phogat was staying at the time of her death last month.
A senior Goa police officer said the process of transfer of the investigation into the Phogat death case to the CBI was almost over.
The CBI team which arrived in Goa on Friday has been visiting all the places related to Phogat’s death, he said.
On Saturday, the team inspected the rooms at the hotel in Anjuna where both Phogat and her associates — now arrested for their alleged role in her death — were staying, the official said.
“The team was at the hotel for the entire day and they also questioned several staff members,” he said.
Police have arrested five people including Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Singh in connection with the case. Both had travelled to Goa with Phogat, a former TikTok star.
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Delhi excise policy modified without obtaining LG’s opinion: CBI FIR
Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the FIR against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, liquor barons and others flagged that decision taken at the level of the Council of Ministers modifying the excise policy was done without obtaining the opinion of Lieutenant Governor as mandated.
The FIR mentions the letter of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena sent to Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla.
Saxena stated he had ordered inquiry in the excise policy and Chief Secretary Delhi submitted a report on July 8, 2022. The report stated that after the approval of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 on May 24, 2021 and consequential amendments in statutory rules on May 31, 2021, “various major decisions and actions have been taken and executed by the Department with the approval of Minister-in-Charge in violation of the statutory provisions and the Notified Excise Policy, which have financial implications and are in the nature of extending undue favor to the licensee ‘post tender.”
He stated that decision was taken at the level of the Council of Ministers modifying the Excise Policy “without obtaining the opinion of Lt Governor as mandated by the recent amendments in Government of NCT of Delhi Act and order dated April 28, 2021 of Lt. Governor’ Secretariat and Transaction of Business of GNCTD Rules, 1993.”
He also stated that the major changes in annual license fee and changes in methodology to calculate the license fee were approved Cabinet Decision on June 23, 2021, but this matter was not submitted for the opinion of Lieutenant Governor.
ALSO READ | CBI names Sisodia, liquor barons and others in FIR over alleged Delhi excise scam
He also pointed out that decisions were taken by the excise department without the approval of the Competent Authority to extend undue favor to the licensee ‘Post Tender”.
The department decided to refund EMD amounting Rs 30 Crores in case of License of Airport Zone as the successful tenderer was not able to obtain NOC from Airport Authorities. However Excise Rules provides that the successful tenderer should complete all formalities for grant of license failing which all deposits made by him shall stand forfeited.
The Department through order dated November 8, 2021 without the approval of the authority revised the formula of calculation of rates of foreign liquor and removed the levy of import pass fee Rs.50 per case on beer which made the foreign liquor as well as beer cheaper for retail licensees. “Extension of such benefit, post tender, amounts to extending undue favor to Licencees,” the letter stated.
The Department deferred coercive action against L7Z licensees in case of default in payment of license fee, interest and penalty for non-genuine reasons in relaxation of the provisions of the tender document resulting in undue favor to the L7Z licensees.
The Department allowed waiver on tendered license fee on account of COVID-19 pandemic from December 28, 2021 to January 27, 2022, despite the fact that no specific provision for compensation in the form of reduction in tendered license fee was available in the tender document. It resulted in undue benefit to the licenace and a loss of about Rs. 144.36 Crores to the public exchequer.
ALSO READ | Delhi government’s liquor policy: Retailers say policy favours wholesalers
The Department floated a tender by incorporating a condition of setting up minimum two liquor vends in each ward without undertaking any exercise or due diligence to ascertain the viability of opening of minimum two vends in each ward. Subsequently, the Department offered the existing licensees to open additional vends in conforming areas in lieu of non-conforming wards without taking approval of the Competent Authority.
No penal action in accordance with Delhi Excise Act was taken against the licensees for violation of Rule when information regarding promotional activities being undertaken by Licensees through the usage of social media/banners/ hoardings came to the knowledge of the Department.
He also stated that the Council of Ministers earlier authorized the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on April 15, 2021 to make minor changes within the overall framework of the policy as may be necessary in the interest of implementation. However, subsequently as advised by then LG such authorization was withdrawn by the Council of Ministers through a decision dated May 21, 2021. Despite the above, the above decisions in question were taken and implemented by the excise department with the approval of Sisodia.
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the FIR against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, liquor barons and others flagged that decision taken at the level of the Council of Ministers modifying the excise policy was done without obtaining the opinion of Lieutenant Governor as mandated.
The FIR mentions the letter of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena sent to Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla.
Saxena stated he had ordered inquiry in the excise policy and Chief Secretary Delhi submitted a report on July 8, 2022. The report stated that after the approval of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 on May 24, 2021 and consequential amendments in statutory rules on May 31, 2021, “various major decisions and actions have been taken and executed by the Department with the approval of Minister-in-Charge in violation of the statutory provisions and the Notified Excise Policy, which have financial implications and are in the nature of extending undue favor to the licensee ‘post tender.”
He stated that decision was taken at the level of the Council of Ministers modifying the Excise Policy “without obtaining the opinion of Lt Governor as mandated by the recent amendments in Government of NCT of Delhi Act and order dated April 28, 2021 of Lt. Governor’ Secretariat and Transaction of Business of GNCTD Rules, 1993.”
He also stated that the major changes in annual license fee and changes in methodology to calculate the license fee were approved Cabinet Decision on June 23, 2021, but this matter was not submitted for the opinion of Lieutenant Governor.
ALSO READ | CBI names Sisodia, liquor barons and others in FIR over alleged Delhi excise scam
He also pointed out that decisions were taken by the excise department without the approval of the Competent Authority to extend undue favor to the licensee ‘Post Tender”.
The department decided to refund EMD amounting Rs 30 Crores in case of License of Airport Zone as the successful tenderer was not able to obtain NOC from Airport Authorities. However Excise Rules provides that the successful tenderer should complete all formalities for grant of license failing which all deposits made by him shall stand forfeited.
The Department through order dated November 8, 2021 without the approval of the authority revised the formula of calculation of rates of foreign liquor and removed the levy of import pass fee Rs.50 per case on beer which made the foreign liquor as well as beer cheaper for retail licensees. “Extension of such benefit, post tender, amounts to extending undue favor to Licencees,” the letter stated.
The Department deferred coercive action against L7Z licensees in case of default in payment of license fee, interest and penalty for non-genuine reasons in relaxation of the provisions of the tender document resulting in undue favor to the L7Z licensees.
The Department allowed waiver on tendered license fee on account of COVID-19 pandemic from December 28, 2021 to January 27, 2022, despite the fact that no specific provision for compensation in the form of reduction in tendered license fee was available in the tender document. It resulted in undue benefit to the licenace and a loss of about Rs. 144.36 Crores to the public exchequer.
ALSO READ | Delhi government’s liquor policy: Retailers say policy favours wholesalers
The Department floated a tender by incorporating a condition of setting up minimum two liquor vends in each ward without undertaking any exercise or due diligence to ascertain the viability of opening of minimum two vends in each ward. Subsequently, the Department offered the existing licensees to open additional vends in conforming areas in lieu of non-conforming wards without taking approval of the Competent Authority.
No penal action in accordance with Delhi Excise Act was taken against the licensees for violation of Rule when information regarding promotional activities being undertaken by Licensees through the usage of social media/banners/ hoardings came to the knowledge of the Department.
He also stated that the Council of Ministers earlier authorized the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on April 15, 2021 to make minor changes within the overall framework of the policy as may be necessary in the interest of implementation. However, subsequently as advised by then LG such authorization was withdrawn by the Council of Ministers through a decision dated May 21, 2021. Despite the above, the above decisions in question were taken and implemented by the excise department with the approval of Sisodia.
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Sisodia will be arrested in ‘fake’ case soon, says Kejriwal as CBI probe ordered into Delhi’s excise policy
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed his deputy Manish Sisodia will be framed in a “fake cake” by the Central Bureau of Investigation and arrested in a few days.
In an online press briefing, Kejriwal also said that he has known Sisodia for 22 years and he is a “hardcore honest” man.
His remarks came after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses. Sisodia heads the Excise department of the Delhi government.
“I came to know that a case has been sent to the CBI against Manish Sisodia and they are going to arrest him in a few days. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in this case,” Kejriwal said.
“This case will not hold in court. Manish is a hardcore honest man and he will walk free,” he said.
The chief minister said Aam Aadmi Party leaders are not afraid of going to jail as they have done nothing wrong.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on Delhi Chief Secretary’s report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.
The LG has found “substantive indications” of “financial quid pro quo” at the “top political level” wherein the excise minister “took and got executed major decisions in violation of the statutory provisions” and notified the Excise Policy that had “huge financial implications”, according to sources.
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed his deputy Manish Sisodia will be framed in a “fake cake” by the Central Bureau of Investigation and arrested in a few days.
In an online press briefing, Kejriwal also said that he has known Sisodia for 22 years and he is a “hardcore honest” man.
His remarks came after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses. Sisodia heads the Excise department of the Delhi government.
“I came to know that a case has been sent to the CBI against Manish Sisodia and they are going to arrest him in a few days. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in this case,” Kejriwal said.
“This case will not hold in court. Manish is a hardcore honest man and he will walk free,” he said.
The chief minister said Aam Aadmi Party leaders are not afraid of going to jail as they have done nothing wrong.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on Delhi Chief Secretary’s report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.
The LG has found “substantive indications” of “financial quid pro quo” at the “top political level” wherein the excise minister “took and got executed major decisions in violation of the statutory provisions” and notified the Excise Policy that had “huge financial implications”, according to sources.
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Mamata demands centre to allow CBI to function independently
By Express News Service
KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the central agencies should be given autonomy for their impartial role and to protect democracy.
Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led Union government for using central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interfere in the affairs of the states, Mamata said, ‘’The BJP government is bulldozing federal structure of India and interfering into state’s affairs using central agencies. These agencies should be given autonomy. The Centre will pay for the salary of the employees working in the central agencies but the law enforcement wings should be allowed to work freely. It would be possible only if these agencies are allowed to function independently,’’ she said at the state secretariat.
The ED has already interrogated her nephew Abhishek Banerjee and his wife in connection with a money laundering case linked to coal pilferage.
The CBI is presently conducting a probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C and Group D staff in schools through the School Service Commission (SSC). The agency interrogated former education minister Partha Chatterjee last week and he has been summoned again this week.
Criticising the Centre, Mamata said the BJP’s rule is worse than that of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Mussolini. She also called the Centre’s latest price cut on fuel and subsidy on cooking gas prices under the Ujjawala scheme an election stunt stating that only a small number of people belonging to the below poverty level category would be able to avail the benefit.
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CBI conducts searches at Gujarat IAS officer’s premises in bribery case, arrests his aide
By PTI
AHMEDABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at the residence and other premises of Gujarat cadre IAS officer K Rajesh in connection with the allegations of bribery against him, the agency said on Friday.
The searches were conducted late Thursday night at the bureaucrat’s residence in Gandhinagar and some other premises in Surat as well as at his native place in Andhra Pradesh, the CBI said in a statement.
Mohammed Rafiq Memon, who acted as the IAS officer’s middleman and who used to collect bribe money for him, has been arrested from Surat, it said.
Rajesh, a 2011-batch IAS officer, currently serves as the joint secretary in the General Administration Department of the Gujarat government in Gandhinagar.
Recently, the CBI had received a complaint that when he was the collector of Surendranagar district, Rajesh had allegedly taken bribe in land deals and in sanctioning weapon licenses to ineligible persons, the central agency added.
The bribe money used to reach him via his middleman Memon, a merchant based in Surat, the CBI said.
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CBI denies FBI is in India to probe Karnataka Bitcoin scam
By Express News Service
BENGALURU: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has denied media reports that said a team of sleuths from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in India to probe into the Karnataka Bitcoin scam wherein politicians and police officials reportedly received kickbacks in the form of bitcoins from a hacker who was arrested by the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch police in connection with a drug case in November 2020.
In an official communication on Sunday, the CBI affirmed, “The FBI has not sent any team to India for conducting a probe in the matter nor has any request been made by FBI to CBI for conducting an investigation in this case in India. The question of any permission for the probe by the competent authority in India does not arise.”
The CBI as the central investigating agency coordinates closely with international law enforcement agencies including the FBI.
Congress General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and Congress MLA from Chittapur Priyank Kharge had tweeted that the FBI is in India to investigate an alleged “Bitcoin scam” which the party had accused the BJP government in Karnataka of covering up last year.
“The FBI investigation into the Bitifinex hacking has revealed email IDs based out of India. Should the police here not investigate the matter? If the state investigates the case diligently, a lot of BJP’s skeletons will tumble out,” Kharge said.
Meanwhile, a report claimed that the FBI and other US agencies are investigating the theft of 1,19,754 bitcoins (valued at $4.5 billion at present) from the British Virgin Islands-based Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange.
ALSO READ | 12.9k Bitcoins encashed by Karnataka netas, cops: Activist
The scam was reported widely in 2020 soon after the arrest of the 26-year-old hacker Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki who claimed to have hacked, among others, online gaming portals and state government’s e-procurement portal.
At the time leader of opposition in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah reportedly took to social media saying, “There is information about the involvement of influential politicians of Karnataka in Drugs & Bitcoin scam. It is concerning that the investigating officers are trying to close the case to help those politicians. @BJP4India govt should not use their power to divert the investigation. They should ensure that the guilty are punished.”