Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 19 : A day before the state of Maharashtra goes to te polls, Ravindranath Patil, former-IPS officer from Pune made a major allegation against NCP-SP Leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole. The former IPS officer alleged that the two leaders had misappropriated bitcoins from a 2018 Cryptocurrency Fraud Case and had used by the same to fund the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly Elections. Patil says he is ready to support the investigation.
Speaking to ANI, former IPS officer alleged that Amitabh Gupta, then Commissioner of Police, Pune, and Bhagyashri Nautake, then Deputy Commissioner of Police handling the Cyber Crime Investigations were involved in the misappropriation of bitcoins, which are eventually being used by the two political leaders.
"My company called me as a cryptocurrency expert to investigate a case in 2018. I was arrested in that case in 2022 under allegations of fraud. I spent 14 months in jail after a trial. During that time, I was wondering what had happened, what the case was and why was I trapped. There were other colleagues also with me. We were working on finding out the truth. A witness against us, Gaurav Mehta, who is an employee of an audit firm named Sarathi Associates. A day before yesterday, he called me multiple times for 4-5 hours, but I did not respond... Finally, when I responded, he told me that in 2018, when Amit Bharadwaj was arrested, he had a cryptocurrency hardware wallet... That wallet was replaced by the then Commissioner Amitabh Gupta and another wallet was kept. We were arrested but the real perpetrators were Amitabh Gupta and his team. He (Gaurav Mehta) took the names of two IPS officers, Amitabh Gupta and Bhagyashri Nautake. He took two people's name one is Supriya Sule and Nana Patole. He then told me that in this assembly elections bitcoins are being used," Patil alleged.
Patil further alleged that the bitcoin money was used for funding in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha elections.
Patil claims he has access to voice notes allegedly sent by the alleged witness Gaurav Mehta, "Supriya Sule has sent three voice note messages in which she is heard asking Gaurav to encash bitcoins as the funds are needed for the elections. She is also heard assuring him not to worry about the inquiries and one they come to power, they will handle them."
"He (Gaurav Mehta) further said that in the Maharashtra Assembly elections too, the same bitcoin money is being used. On the direction of Amitabh Gupta, he (Gaurav Mehta) went to Dubai multiple times and converted the bitcoin into cash. And that cash is being used in Maharashtra elections... He (Gaurav Mehta) sent me some voice notes he had received on WhatsApp. There were 3 audio messages from Supriya Sule where she asks for cash in exchange for bitcoins. She also says that he (Gaurav Mehta) does not need to worry about inquiry, they will handle it when they come to power... He (Gaurav Mehta) sent another voice note between Amitabh Gupta and Nana Patole where Patole is asking why there is a delay in cash," Patil further added.
Patil further alleged that "in other calls, Amitabh Gupta is heard giving instructions to Gaurav to cash out bitcoins.
"He (Gaurav) sent me more recordings where Amitabh Gupta was asking for Rs. 50 crores... He sent me a voice note he sent to Amitabh Gupta, saying that they had made 4 crypto wallets under the names of Patil and Ghode (my colleague) and the transactions were done from these wallets. If there is an investigation, Patil and Ghode would be caught... During the chat with me, he (Gaurav Mehta) alleged that he wanted to come out of this but his life would be in danger... I have all the screenshots and the audio and I am ready to provide them to the investigation agencies. I am ready to support the investigation," Patil said.
Ravindranath Patil further said that he got this information from the whistle-blower, who was also part of the cyber experts' team that was investigating the 2018 Cryptocurrency Fraud Case.
He further alleged that the Cyber Expert, Gaurav Mehta is currently having the custody of misappropriated bitcoins, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees.
"He said that they have already sold bitcoins worth Rs. 150 crores and they have several 100 crores more... The cash was used in Lok Sabha elections and is not being used in assembly elections also," Patil claimed.
Neither of the named parties have so far reacted to Ravindra Patil's allegations.
Ravindranath Patil is a former IPS officer of 2004 batch and since 2010, he was working as a Cyber Expert in corporate sector. During the investigation of 2018 Bitcoin Fraud Case, he was appointed to conduct a forensic audit.
Four years later, he was named as an accused for the alleged misappropriation of bitcoins amounting to 5 Crores, and he spent nearly 14 months in Yerawada Central Prison as an undertrial. Currently, he is a practicing advocate in the Bombay High Court.
The allegations against Nana Patole and Supriya Sule follow an incident of high drams on Tuesday after the workers of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) created a ruckus outside a hotel located at Nalasopara assembly constituency in Palghar district accusing the BJP of "distributing money."
The BVA workers created a ruckus outside the Vivanta Hotel in Virar where BJP leader Vinod Tawde was holding a meeting with the party workers.
Notably, Vinod Tawde dismissed the charge levelled by BVA that the BJP was "distributing money" ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
"A meeting of MLAs of Nalasopara was underway. I went there to tell them about the Model Code of Conduct for the day of voting, how will voting machines be sealed and how to go about if an objection has to be made. The workers of the party (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Appa Thakur and Kshitij thought that we were distributing money. Let the Election Commission and Police inquire, let them get CCTV footage. I have been in the party for 40 years. Appa Thakur and Kshitij know me, and the entire party knows me. Still, I believe that the Election Commission should conduct an impartial investigation," Tawde said.
The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled for November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.