CBI inspector says he’s friends with Paladiya

AHMEDABAD: CID (crime) sleuths probing the

bitcoin case

had recorded the statement of CBI inspector Sunil Nair about a week ago. Senior CID crime officials said that they had interrogated Nair at length but could not get evidence which could link him to the case. CID crime sources said that the complainant, Shailesh Bhatt, a Surat businessman, has alleged that Nair had threatened him with false cases and had extorted Rs 4.5 crore. “But we have not found evidence to support the allegations,” an investigator said.

Nair has disclosed that he knew Bhatt’s business partner

Ketan Paladiya

for long. The CBI is conducting an internal inquiry into the alleged involvement of Nair in the case.

The CID has managed to unearth the part of the money trail in the case. “We have been able to track transactions worth Rs 1.5 crore and are making serious efforts to track the remainder,” a senior CID official said. Senior CID officials said that the money and bitcoins were to be transferred to Ketan Patel who has already been arrested in the case. “Ketan had assumed the fake identity of Iqbal,” said an investigator. “However, he made the mistake of using his own phone while calling as Iqbal.”

According to CID sources

Amreli SP Jagdish Patel

, who was arrested two day ago, has denied any role in the affair. “When we confronted him with call records between him and inspector of Amreli, Anant Patel, on the day of the alleged kidnapping of Bhatt, Patel said he had called Anant to reprimand him as he had come to know about his wrongdoing, ” said a senior CID official. “There are contradictions in the statements of Anant Patel, Jagdish Patel, and Ketan Patel.”
Ex-BJP MLA may be questioned

CID officials said that the name of ex-BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya had surfaced during the probe and they are not ruling out the possibility of questioning him.

Angdaiya block: “Amreli inspector Anant Patel allegedly asked Shailesh Bhatt to transfer Rs 32 crore,” a CID official said. “Bhatt asked P

Umesh Anagadia

in Surat to transfer the money to Ahmedabad. P Umesh Anagadiya asked PM Angadiya to effect the transaction. But as it was Sunday and the amount too big, PM Angadiya refused to go ahead.”