Gain Bitcoin scam case: CBI summons audit firm employee Gaurav Mehta

The CBI on Wednesday summoned Gaurav Mehta, an audit company employee, to appear before it as soon as possible in connection with the Rs 6,600-crore Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam case, officials said.

The central probe agency had registered three cases related to the scam last month on the Supreme Court orders issued last year, officials said.

Mehta was summoned by the CBI, a day after his name cropped up in purported tapes of Maharashtra political leaders discussing the encashment of the cryptocurrency worth crores.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) swung into action hours after the Enforcement Directorate, investigating the money laundering aspect, launched raids at the Mehta's residence in Chhattisgarh.

The apex court handed over cases registered against Variable Tech Pvt Ltd across the country to the CBI in December 2023.

"During the investigation, it shall be open to the CBI to club/consolidate any one or more of the FIRs," the top court had said.

The apex court had clarified that "in the event that chargesheets have already been filed by the local police in connection with any of the FIR, this shall not preclude the CBI from conducting further investigation and thereafter file chargesheets or supplementary chargesheets as the case may be".

Officials said all aspects related to the alleged involvement of Mehta in the scam are being looked into and the CBI may expand the scope of its investigation.

At least 10 FIRs have been registered by police in various states, including Delhi, against Variable Tech Pvt Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj and others for allegedly collecting Bitcoins worth around Rs 6,600 crore from gullible people through their Multi-Level-Marketing scheme with false promises of 10 per cent monthly return in the form of the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoins, a cryptocurrency, are not controlled by any central bank of any country.

The alleged role of Mehta surfaced on Tuesday when the BJP in poll-bound Maharashtra played purported voice notes of NCP (SP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, alleging attempts were being made to encash Bitcoins to influence the elections.

The allegations have been denied by Sule and Patole.

Voting for Maharashtra Assembly elections took place on Wednesday with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance facing challenge from the NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UT) and Congress alliance known as Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Mehta's name was also mentioned by former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil who was arrested in a 2018 cryptocurrency "fraud" case being probed by the Pune Police.

Patil claimed Mehta shared with him on the Signal app as many as 10 voice notes purportedly of Sule, Patole, and IPS officers Amitabh Gupta (ex-Pune Police commissioner) and Bhagyashree Navtake who was the DCP (cyber) in Pune when he was arrested.

In his complaint sent to the Election Commission via email, Patil said according to the chats, he claims to possess, it appears that hundreds of Bitcoins worth billions of rupees may have been pumped in the assembly polls and the previous Lok Sabha elections.

It also appears that Mehta currently possesses misappropriated Bitcoins, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, Patil has said in the complaint.