Maharashtra polls: What is BJP’s ‘Bitcoin scam’ allegation against Supriya Sule, Nana Patole?

After the cash-for-votes controversy, a massive row has erupted over an alleged ‘Bitcoin scam’ linked to the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil, who hails from Pune, made serious allegations against NCP-SP leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole.

The BJP seized this as an opportunity to attack the opposition and presented audio recordings to the media as evidence.

Here’s all we know about the new controversy as Maharashtra votes.

Catch all updates on Maharashtra Assembly polls in our live coverage here

The ‘Bitcoin scam’

Ravindranath Patil alleged that Sharad Pawar’s daughter Sule and state Congress chief Patole had misappropriated bitcoins from a 2018 cryptocurrency fraud case and had used the same to fund the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly elections .

As per ANI, he says he is ready to support the investigation.

The former IPS officer alleged that Amitabh Gupta, then Commission 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 leaders.

The Pune police, in collaboration with cyber expert Pankaj Ghode, employed Patil, who voluntarily retired from the Indian Police Service, to investigate a few cryptocurrency cases filed in 2018, as per NDTV.

According to the police, Patil moved some cryptocurrency into his account during the investigation. Ghode gave the police screenshots of the accounts, which showed there was less money in the cryptocurrency wallets.

However, Patil refuted the claims and told reporters that he was framed, adding that he and his colleagues looked into it.

He asserted that Gaurav Mehta, a key witness in the case and an audit firm employee, had informed him about the 2018 Bitcoin fraud investigation.

Mehta has claimed that a Bitcoin-containing hardware wallet was taken when cryptocurrency dealer Amit Bharadwaj was arrested. However, a different wallet was used in its place, allegedly at the behest of Amitabh Gupta, the Pune Police Commissioner at the time.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Sule’s cousin and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar acknowledged that one of the voices in the audio recording was Sule’s and stated that an investigation into the incident ought to be started, as per News18.

Also read:  What’s the cash-for-vote row involving BJP’s Vinod Tawde, a day before Maharashtra Assembly polls?

An opportunity for the BJP

Soon after the allegations surfaced, the BJP released audio recordings to the media, claiming they were proof of Patole and Sule’s involvement in the “Bitcoin scam.”

Firstpost could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio clips.

Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Sule and Patole of engaging in a conspiracy involving illegal Bitcoin transactions to influence election results in favour of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

In a press conference held at the BJP’s national headquarters in the evening, Trivedi said, “An accused dealer contacts a former police officer, who has been jailed previously, and tells him that he (the dealer) wants to conduct bitcoin transactions in cash. The officer declines the request."

“However, the dealer tries to convince him, claiming that a few ‘big people’ are involved, allegedly naming Nana Patole and Supriya Sule. When the officer expresses doubt, the dealer sends him the audio clips.”

The saffron party has asked for immediate action against the MVA leaders “on the basis of viral audio and chat.”

BJP leader Vinod Tawde took to X and said, “Allegations of former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil have made it clear that Supriya Sule, Nana Patole and Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders are using illegal money through Bitcoin in Maharashtra elections.”

“He tried very hard to hide the truth through his lies, but now the people of Maharashtra know his truth well, the answer to which they will get through voting tomorrow. The Election Commission should also take immediate action against the Maha Vikas Aghadi leader on the basis of viral audio and chat.”

‘Conjecture and innuendo’

Sule refuted the allegations, claiming that the BJP’s audio clip does not have her voice.

Declaring her innocence in the case, she said that a defamation notice had been issued to Trivedi.

“Yesterday, all these voice recordings were sent to me by the media. The first thing I did was to call the Commissioner of Pune and tell him that some fake videos were running and I wanted to complain to cybercrime. I immediately complained to cybercrime that all these voice notes and messages were lies and fake, so I sent a notice to cybercrime,” Sule said after casting her vote in Baramati.

“After that, there is the spokesperson of BJP who held a press conference… After that, I called my lawyers and this morning I sent a criminal defamation notice to Sudhanshu Trivedi. I am ready to come out and answer Sudhanshu Trivedi anytime in whichever city he wants, on whichever channel he wants, at whatever time he wants, wherever he calls me, I will come and I will answer him," she added.

The Baramati MP earlier challenged Trivedi to a debate over the allegations.

“I deny all the allegations levelled against me by Sudhanshu Trivedi. All this is conjecture and innuendo, and I am ready for a debate with any representative of the BJP at a time and date of their choice, in a public forum."

She wrote in a post on X, “It’s appalling that such baseless allegations are made by Sudhanshu Trivedi, yet not surprising as it’s a clear case of spreading false information, the night before elections. My lawyer will be issuing a criminal and civil defamation notice against Sudhanshu Trivedi for making outrightly false allegations with an intent to deceive the public at large.”

She has filed a criminal complaint against Gaurav Mehta and Ravindranath Patil with the Election Commission and the Cyber Cell in Pune, accusing them of disseminating fake and malicious information.

“This amounts to criminal impersonation that too, using digital means, which is a grave offence as it is with an intent to defraud and defame,” the complaint said.

Maharashtra assembly polls

The state votes for its 288-member Assembly in a single phase on November 20.

A total of 4,136 candidates are running in the elections overall.

The counting of votes will take place on November 23.

The contest is primarily bipolar as the opposition MVA alliance, which consists of the Congress, the NCP (Sharad Pawar), and the Shiv Sena (UBT), is opposed by the BJP, which is allied with the NCP (led by Ajit Pawar) and the Shiv Sena (headed by Eknath Shinde) under the ruling Mahayuti banner.

With inputs from agencies