Guj bitcoin case: CID moves court for warrant against ex-MLA

The Gujarat CID today moved a local court for issuance of an arrest warrant against former BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya, claiming that he was not honouring summons and was evading arrest in a kidnapping and extortion case.

The CID told the local court that the former BJP MLA played a significant role in the crime and, hence, needed to be arrested.

Kotadiya, a former MLA from Dhari in Amreli district, is an accused in a bitcoin (a virtual currency) extortion case in which several police officials, including a superintendent of police and an inspector of the local crime branch, have been arrested.

Sessions judge P J Tamakuwala concluded the hearing on the application and reserved the order for Thursday.

The CID told the court that it had issued summonses to Kotadiya under section 160 of CrPC to appear before it on two occasions but he had failed to do so.

It told the court that police teams had not been able to find him despite going to his residence as well as a place where he was believed to be hiding.

Kotadiya had sent a fax on May 7 stating that he would appear before them on May 12 but he did not do so, the CID told court.

"We have concrete evidence against Kotadiya. He is a politically influential person. His evading arrest could be an attempt to delay and create hindrance in the investigation,' the CID told court.

"With a warrant under section 70 of CrPC, CID (Crime) can inform Gujarat police and other agencies, and take help of police and investigating agencies from outside the state to find and arrest him," the CID told the court.

An FIR was lodged against the accused in the case under sections 342, 365, 384, 166, 120-B, 506 (2), 504, 323, 201, 167, 119, of the IPC.

The case relates to a complaint filed with the CID (Crime) three months back by Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt.

Bhatt had alleged that Amreli policemen had kidnapped him, and his business partner Kirit Paladia, from Gandhinagar on February 9 and extorted bitcoins, which was in the possession of Paladia.

Bhatt had alleged that Kotadia was also involved in this conspiracy of extorting bitcoins worth over Rs 9 crore.

A well-thought-out conspiracy was hatched to commit the crime by those arrested and others, the CID told court.