Supriya submits complaint to EC, cops over ‘use of bitcoin’ allegation by ex-IPS officer

Pune/New Delhi: NCP (SCP) working president Supriya Sule on Tuesday submitted a complaint application to EC and Maharashtra Police's cybercrime cell, naming ex-IPS officer Ravindranath Patil and one more person, Gaurav Mehta, with a request to file an FIR against them for spreading "fake and mala fide information" against her over allegation of using bitcoins to finance the state polls.Patil, the former IPS officer charged in a 2018 cryptocurrency fraud case, told ANI that Supriya and Patole had misused bitcoins from a 2018 cryptocurrency fraud case to finance Maharashtra polls.Following this, BJP accused MVA, including state Congress president Nana Patole and Supriya Sule, of being involved in "illegal bitcoin activities" to fund their Maharashtra poll campaign. Addressing a press conference on the eve of Maharashtra poll, BJP MP and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned "involvement of Sule and Patole" in "illegal bitcoin activities", suggesting such funds might have been used to influence elections.The BJP functionary claimed "bigger people" were involved, hinting at a broader network of corruption. "The conversation refers to a dealer named Gaurav Mehta, along with a mention of a Mr Gupta... We want to ask Supriya Sule if she has any connection with Gaurav Mehta or this Mr Gupta?" he asked.The NCP (SCP) working president took to her 'X' handle and wrote about filing the complaint application. "Familiar tactics of spreading false information to manipulate the righteous voters are being resorted to, a night before the polling day," she wrote.Supriya also shared the copy of the complaint application. "We have filed a criminal complaint to the ECI and the cybercrime department against the fake allegations made of bitcoin misappropriation. The intent and mala fide actors behind it are amply evident, condemn worthy that such practices are taking place in a healthy democracy guided by the constitution of India," she wrote.
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