In the bitcoin scam which is being probed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), one of the accused, identified as Santosh Kumar, had allegedly moved coins to his associate to keep them safe. SIT is presently looking for the associate.
According to the sources, Kumar had been helping the police to crack cybercrime cases registered in Cyber, Economic offences and Narcotics (CEN) police stations in Bengaluru. Kumar, who is a cyber expert, runs a company GCID Technologies Private Limited, HSR Layout.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) inspectors who were probing several cases filed against hacker Srikrishna Ramesh aka Sriki were allegedly introduced to Kumar by Prashanth Babu, PI, Technical Support Centre, Adugodi. Babu, who is also arrested in the scam by the SIT, had been reportedly taking technical assistance from Kumar.
The sources said currently the SIT had found that he had transferred several bitcoins taken from Sriki and Robin Kandelwala’s cryptocurrency wallets to one of his associates. Sources said the associate also seems to have encashed his cut of bitcoins in India. The cut was given to him to keep the coins safely in the wallets, sources said.
The SIT Chief, Manish Karbikar who is probing the scam talking to The Hindu said, “I will not be able to comment on the issue as the matter is under investigation.”
At present, five persons have been booked. Apart from Babu and Kumar, the other three accused are Lakshmikanthaiah, Chandradhar, and Shridhar K. Pujar, all then inspectors from CCB.