Bengaluru: In response to the opposition's allegations of Bitcoin mafia and BJP leaders' involvement in drug trafficking, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's government is preparing to hand over the investigation to either the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The case is currently being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department's special team (CID). In this case, the agency is preparing to file a preliminary charge sheet. On the darknet, Bitcoins are used to buy drugs. Srikanth a.k.a. Sriki, the main accused in the case, is accused of supplying bitcoins to VVIP customers.

Last year, City Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths arrested accused Sriki in connection with drug trafficking. The bitcoin scandal has come up during the course of the investigation. Later, the police seized 31 bitcoins worth Rs 9 crore. In March of 2021, the CCB filed a charge sheet in the case. CID was assigned to the case for further investigation.

Three bitcoin exchange agencies and ten poker websites have been targeted by the CCB. The investigation also revealed that the main accused, Sriki, was a hacker. The CCB sleuths have provided Interpol with information about hacking and have advised the ED to seize property.

The case has taken a political turn, with the opposition Congress accusing the BJP of covering up the scandal because it involves some of its most powerful politicians. The Congress argued that if the truth was revealed, many people would "lose their seats."

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