K&R database cleanup: handoff bundle
Self-contained bundle to continue the case-summary enrichment pass (70/256 done). sources/ holds the 364 .txt dossiers; scripts use relative paths. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_018FJRciSWZc9HftS2edbzBf
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Claude Opus 4.8
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ED arrests 2 in BitConnect crypto fraud case; Rs 2,170 crore assets attached - India Today
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NewsIndiaED arrests 2 in BitConnect crypto fraud case; Rs 2,170 crore assets attached
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ED arrests 2 in BitConnect crypto fraud case; Rs 2,170 crore assets attached
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The ED arrested two people in connection with the BitConnect cryptocurrency fraud and a linked kidnapping-extortion case. Assets worth around ₹2,170 crore have been attached or frozen in the case.
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The ED arrests form part of a wider money-laundering probe related to the BitConnectCoin scheme, one of the largest alleged crypto frauds to have targeted investors globally. (Representative image)
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New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 23, 2026 03:06 IST
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The Enforcement Directorate has arrested two persons in connection with the multi-crore BitConnect cryptocurrency fraud and a linked kidnapping-extortion case, officials said. So far, the ED has arrested key accused Shailesh Babulal Bhatt and attached or frozen assets worth approximately Rs 2,170 crore in the case.
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Nikunj Pravinbhai Bhatt (33) of Surat and Sanjay Kanubhai Kotadia (49) of Mumbai were arrested under Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. They were produced before a special PMLA court in Ahmedabad, which granted the agency four days of custodial remand.
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The arrests form part of a wider money-laundering probe related to the BitConnectCoin scheme, one of the largest alleged crypto frauds to have targeted investors globally.
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The ED initiated its investigation based on two FIRs registered by the CID Crime Police Station, Surat, against Shailesh Babulal Bhatt, BitConnect founder Satish Kurjibhai Kumbhani and others.
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According to the agency, the accused induced members of the public to invest in BitConnect Coin, which was owned and controlled by Kumbhani and his associates. The collected funds were allegedly siphoned off to acquire Bitcoins and immovable properties.
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Between November 2016 and January 2018, BitConnect is accused of running a fraudulent and unregistered global cryptocurrency offering through its “Lending Programme”, targeting investors in India and abroad.
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The ED said BitConnect falsely claimed to use a proprietary “volatility trading bot” that could generate returns of up to 40 per cent per month. The platform allegedly displayed fictitious daily returns of about 1 per cent, amounting to nearly 3,700 per cent annually.
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Investigators said investor funds were never used for trading but were diverted to digital wallets controlled by the accused and their associates. The scheme was promoted through a global network of agents who earned commissions for recruiting new investors.
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The second FIR relates to a kidnapping and extortion case in which Shailesh Babulal Bhatt and his associates allegedly abducted two persons — Piyush Savaliya and Dhaval Mavani — to recover their claimed investments.
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The accused allegedly extorted 2,254 Bitcoins, 11,000 Litecoins and Rs 14.5 crore in cash in exchange for the release of one of the victims.
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During searches at five locations on January 9, the ED seized digital devices and documents and froze investments in shares, mutual funds, cryptocurrencies and cash worth around Rs 19 crore.
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The agency said Nikunj Bhatt was an accomplice in the extortion and received at least 266 Bitcoins in two crypto exchange accounts, of which 10.9 Bitcoins have been attached. He allegedly laundered the remaining cryptocurrency through third-party accounts, converting it into Ethereum and USDT before transferring it across multiple wallets.
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Investigators found that about USD 23 lakh (around Rs 20.7 crore) was routed to wallets linked to Sanjay Kotadia for crypto trading. Kotadia is also alleged to have received USD 4.5 lakh (about Rs 4.05 crore) directly from Shailesh Bhatt.
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Forensic analysis of seized digital evidence established transactional links between the two accused, officials said.
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The ED said both accused were evasive during questioning and provided false or incomplete disclosures under Section 50 of the PMLA. Citing non-cooperation and the risk of tampering with evidence or fleeing, the agency arrested them.
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So far, the ED has arrested key accused Shailesh Babulal Bhatt and attached or frozen assets worth approximately Rs 2,170 crore in the case. Further investigation is underway to trace additional proceeds of crime and identify other beneficiaries.
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Bitcoin extortion case: complainant now becomes an accused - The Hindu
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Bitcoin extortion case: complainant now becomes an accused
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Shailesh Bhatt was the complainant in the ₹155 crore extortion
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Updated - May 22, 2018 11:07 am IST - AHMEDABAD
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FILE - This April 3, 2013file photo shows bitcoin tokens at 35-year-old software engineer Mike Caldwell's shop in Sandy, Utah. The price of bitcoin, the most widely used virtual currency, rose above US$ 10,000 on Wednesday for the first time, breaking a symbolic threshold in what has been a vertiginous ascent this year. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file)
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In a new twist in the country’s first case of extortion of crypto currency, the Gujarat Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has booked a Surat-based builder for allegedly extorting over ₹155 crore in cash and bitcoins from two persons.
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Earlier, the builder and realtor, Shailesh Bhatt, was the complainant in a bitcoin extortion case in which bitcoins worth ₹9 crore were extorted from him by Amreli polic. The police have arrested Amreli Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel while a former BJP legislator Nalin Kotadia is on the run.
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In his complaint, Bhatt had alleged that some Amreli policemen extorted "bitcoins worth ₹9 crore" from him four months back when he was abducted and beaten by the cops.
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“While probing the case, we learnt that Bhatt was an extortionist, as he had extorted bitcoins worth ₹155 crore from others before he himself became a victim, when he was kidnapped by the Amreli police,” CID (Crime) chief Ashish Bhatia told newsmen on Monday when he announced lodging a new case to book the complainant and others.
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"Around two years back, one Satish Kumbhani of Surat floated a company called 'Bit Connect' and lured people like Bhatt to invest in it to get huge returns in short time. Bhatt had invested ₹2 crore in it. However, its promoters shut shop in January this year and went underground," said Mr. Bhatia.
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To recover his investment, Bhatt's accomplices first kidnapped Piyush Savalia by posing as Income Tax officials, as Mr. Savalia used to work for that company. Mr. Savalia was confined in a farm house at gun-point for three days in January-end.
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"On February 1, Bhatt's men kidnapped Dhaval Mavani at gun-point, as the latter was also attached with the bankrupt firm. Bhatt's accomplices forced Mavani to transfer 2,256 bitcoins worth ₹131 crore into their account. The builder and his accomplices had also transferred another 166 bitcoins worth ₹9.64 crore into their account," Mr. Bhatia said, sharing details of how Bhatt and his aides were running an underworld type extortion racket in Surat where people turned to virtual currencies to convert their black money during and after demonetisation.
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To set Mr. Mavani free, Bhatt and his accomplices also extorted ₹14.50 crore cash, which the builder received through the 'Angadia' service (an unofficial cash courier service), he said.
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"Bhatt and his accomplices extorted bitcoins and cash worth a total of ₹155.21 crore. Later, they distributed the bitcoins among themselves. Bhatt had kept around 700 bitcoins," the CID official said.
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“Since Shailesh Bhatt is not tech-savvy, he took help of his nephew Nikunj Bhatt to transfer these bitcoins into his victual wallet.” The CID (crime) has arrested Nikunj Bhatt.
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The entire conspiracy was unearthed when Savalia was questioned by the CID recently after the arrest of Amreli SP and Police Inspector Anant Patel and Bhatt’s business partner Kirit Paladia.
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Mr. Bhatia added that the bitcoin extortion racket is set to get bigger as more people who invested in the hope of making quick bucks became victims of organised racket.
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“When we started probe, Shailesh Bhatt even paid ₹34.50 lakh to Piyush Savalia to keep mum and give a false statement that he was never kidnapped by Bhatt and his aides,” said Mr. Bhatia.
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While two persons, including Bhatt's nephew, have already been arrested on charges of kidnapping and extortion, a search is on for others including Bhatt in the new case while former legislator in the original case.
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gangs & organised crime
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corruption & bribery
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corporate crime
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