Congress alleges Rs 5,000 cr bitcoin scam

New Delhi, July 5: The Congress on Thursday alleged that a “bitcoin scam” of more than Rs 5,000 crore had surfaced in Gujarat with suspected involvement of some BJP leaders and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial probe into the issue.

Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters here that it was a multi-layered scam and the Gujarat CID had estimated it to be of more than Rs 5,000 crore though some vernacular news reports and independent blogs have put the value of illegalities at Rs 88,000 crore.

“A new mega bitcoin scam has been unraveled in Gujarat. The finger of suspicion of this massive scam of illegal cryptocurrency directly points to several top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and a mastermind, absconding BJP leader and former MLA Nalin Kotadiya,” Gohil said.

Bitcoin is a type of digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank. Bitcoin is not a legal tender in India.

Gohil said the scam was a Pandora’s box where “illegal hawala transactions, kidnappings, extortion of cryptocurrency using CBI/police/government authorities at the behest of top BJP leaders in Gujarat is a norm”. (IANS)