Amreli Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel was arrested by Gujarat CID-Crime on Monday for allegedly being involoved in abducting Surat-based builder Shalish Bhatt and extorting bitcoins from him. Patel was detained from his official residence by the CID unit of Rajkot and Amreli on Sunday.

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Ahmedabad City branch officials also arrested Amreli Crime branch Police inspector Anant Patel in connection with the same from Adalaj almost four days ago.

Nine police officials, including an inspector of the Amreli unit of the Crime Branch, were booked by CID (Crime) on April 8. CID had also nabbed two Amreli police constables — Babubhai Der and Vijay Vadher, and one Ketal Patel — on April 8. A special investigation team (SIT), led by  DIG Dipankar Trivedi, was formed.

An investigation was launched in February by the CID (Crime), on the direction of the state government, after Bhatt alleged that he was abducted from near a hotel in Gandhinagar on February 9. He alleged that he was taken to a farmhouse where inspector Patel beat him and forced him to pay him 200 bitcoins worth Rs 12crore. Patel also demanded Rs 32 crore for his release. During interrogation, Patel alleged that the extortion and abduction plan was hatched by SP Jagdish Patel. Despite being summoned twice by the Crime Branch, Jagdish went on sick leave.  

“Amreli SP has been detained and is being questioned regarding the bitcoin case. We have gathered specific evidence against him,” said Dipankar Trivedi, DIG

According to an official, the sleuths recovered two mobile phones from Anant Patel which he used while carrying out the operation to transfer the bitcoins. Also, more than 150GB data of bitcoin transaction was recovered from Gujarat. “Investigation revealed that the former Dhari MLA Nalin Kotadia had links with Jagdish. Anant Patel’s call record was checked. He spoke to MLA’s nephew Sanjay Kotadia, who is believed to be a cryptocurrency trader based in Mumbai. It was also revealed that Anant and gone to Mumbai to meet Sanjay.”

COPS IN CRIME

  • Apart from Jagdish patel, Ahmedabad City branch officials arrested Amreli Crime branch Police inspector Anant Patel from Adalaj four days ago.  
  • Nine police officials, including an inspector of the Amreli unit of the Crime Branch, were booked by CID (Crime) on April 8.