No FBI team in India to probe Bitcoin scam, clarifies CBI

Denying media reports that a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) team has come to India to investigate a Bitcoin case of Karnataka police, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) clarified on Sunday that the American agency has not sent any team to India for conducting a probe into the matter nor has any request been made by the FBI to the CBI for carrying out investigation in the case in India.

"Accordingly, the question of according any permission for the probe by competent authority in India does not arise. CBI as the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL in India coordinates closely with international law enforcement agencies including FBI," CBI said in a statement.
 
The Congress on Friday asked whether the FBI is in India to investigate the alleged "Bitcoin scam" which the party had accused the BJP government in Karnataka of covering up last year.

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Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the layers of the alleged "Bitcoin Scam" are finally being unearthed.
 
"Let India's HM (Home Minister Amit Shah) & CM (Basavaraj) Bommai answer- Is FBI in India to investigate India's biggest Bitcoin Scam Coverup under Karnataka BJP govt? If so, release details of the investigation & suspects, including political people?" How many Bitcoins were stolen and of what value, and who in Karnataka is involved," Surjewala tweeted.
 
He also asked Shah and Bommai to answer if the stolen bitcoins were transferred from the wallet of the alleged hacker Sri Krishna.
 
"Whether the 'Whale Alerts' reflecting the transfer of the 14,682 stolen Bitfinex bitcoins valued at Rs. 5,240 crores on the two dates- 1st December 2020 & 14th April 2021, when Sri Krishna was in custody- has any correlation?" he asked in a series of tweets.
 
"What is the role and responsibility of the Chief Minister, Shri Basavaraj Bommai (who was the Home Minister in charge at the relevant time) and others in the State Government? "Why was Interpol not informed? Why did the BJP Government wait for over five months up till 24th April 2021 to write to Interpol and that also after the release of Sri Krishna on 17th April 2021?" he asked.

Also Read: Crypto crime: Pune police recovers over Rs 84 cr worth of Bitcoins
 
Surjewala also questioned whether the NIA/SFIO/ED were not informed by the Karnataka BJP Government.
 
At a press conference last year, AICC general secretary in-charge Karnataka Surjewala had alleged that the size of the Bitcoin scam could be much bigger because just on two days on December 1, 2020, and April 14, 2021, illegal transactions worth Rs 5,240 crore took place.
 
He had posed a series of questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked what was the role Bommai, who was the state's home minister when the alleged scam took place? Accusing the Congress of playing politics on the alleged bitcoin scam issue, Bommai had last year asked the opposition party to give documents, if any, to investigating agencies.