The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Karnataka’s Bitcoin scam has named Mohammed Haris Nalapad, son of Congress MLA N. A. Haris, in its chargesheet, as co-accused, making him the first politically connected individual to be arraigned in the case.
The scam occurred during the tenure of BJP, and the Congress had alleged the involvement of senior BJP leaders ahead of the 2023 assembly polls.
Responding to Mr. Nalapad being chargesheeted, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said that as far as he knew, there were more names, including those from the BJP and that these names would also emerge. “We have done it transparently. What is wrong is wrong, and cannot be defended,” he said.
Responding to notices by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Mr. Nalapad, Mr. Kharge said, “Who controls the central agency? Is the agency being selective in its action?”
The chargesheet, filed before a Bengaluru court on May 20, alleges that Nalapad was among the key beneficiaries of 60.6 Bitcoins allegedly stolen by hacker Srikrishna, alias Sriki, from Tumakuru-based crypto exchange Unocoin in 2017.
The SIT chargesheet alleged that Nalapad played a role in converting the stolen cryptocurrency into cash, which was allegedly routed through hawala channels. The charge sheet names Nalapad, Sriki, and the latter’s accountant Robin Khandelwal as accused.
The ED, which has separately probed the case, had earlier alleged that Mohammed Haris Nalapad, his brother Omar Farook Nalapad and Aqeeb Khan, grandson of former Union minister K. Rahman Khan, benefited from the proceeds of crime.
The stolen Bitcoins were valued at about ₹1.14 crore in 2017, and are now estimated to be worth over ₹35 crore.
The Bitcoin scam came to light following Sriki’s arrest in November 2020 in a dark-web drug procurement case. Subsequent investigations linked him to multiple cybercrimes, including the alleged hacking of the Karnataka government’s e-procurement portal and the theft of ₹11.5 crore in 2019.
The Congress government constituted an SIT in 2023 to reinvestigate the case. The Nalapad brothers were questioned by the SIT in 2024, and again in February 2025. On April 20 this year, the ED conducted searches at locations linked to Sriki, the Nalapad brothers and Aqeeb Khan.
According to the ED, the Nalapad brothers were close associates of Sriki and among the principal beneficiaries of the alleged proceeds of crime. The agency is carrying out its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Mohammed Haris Nalapad termed the chargesheet and allegations against him a political conspiracy to scuttle his father's chances of becoming a minister. “We will get a ministerial berth, and give a befitting reply,” he told mediapersons on June 10.
Published - June 10, 2026 09:36 pm IST
Source: The Hindu - India News
