Bitcoin Bomb Hits Aghadi Hours Before Maharashtra Polls, BJP Says MVA Exposed; Supriya Sule Reacts

New Delhi: In a late evening press conference on the eve of Maharashtra polls, the BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed to expose Maha Vikas Aghadi ‘bit by bit’. During the press conference, the BJP presented an alleged ‘video and audio’ in which a female voice, allegedly of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, can be heard saying, "Need cash in exchange for bitcoins. You need not worry about any inquiry; we will handle it once we come to power." In the alleged video shared with media by the BJP, Sule is allegedly speaking to Gaurav Mehta, an employee of the audit firm Sarathi Association.   

Note: Republic Media Network, across platforms and mediums of operation, cannot vouch for the authenticity of the alleged audio tapes, screenshots and recordings as released by the BJP. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party also shared alleged screenshots of Signal chats between Gaurav Mehta, an employee of audit firm Sarathi Associates and ex-IPS Ravindranath Patil.

The presser comes minutes after Ravindranath Patil, a former IPS officer from Pune made a big allegation against NCP-SCP Leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole. The former IPS officer alleged that the two leaders had misappropriated bitcoins from a 2018 Cryptocurrency Fraud Case and had used the same to fund the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly Elections. Patil says he is ready to support the investigation. 

Crypto Charge Against Sule, Patole in Maharashtra

• Speaking to reporters, Trivedi said the press was invited late at 10 PM, reflecting the gravity of the issue. 
• “Very serious and concerning facts have come to the light which is exposing the true face of Maha Vikas Aghadi bit by bit. For this bit by bit exposure, bytes are also available. So in my opinion, it is posing a serious question of how a free and fair election can be conducted...”, said the BJP leader. 
• The allegations made by a former bureaucrat pose a big concern for the democratic fabric of the nation, the BJP national spokesperson stated, adding that a detailed inquiry will be set up to investigate the facts and allegations that have emerged.
• The revelations demand immediate attention to ensure that free and fair elections are safeguarded, said Trivedi. 
• “An accused dealer contacts a former police officer who has been jailed earlier due to some allegations and tells him that he (the alleged dealer) wants to do some transactions of bitcoin in cash. The police officer declines his request. But the dealer tries to convince him as few 'big people' are involved in this matter and he allegedly takes the names of Nana Patole and Supriya Sule. When the police officer doesn't show any trust in this, the dealer sends him the audio clips. As per the claims of the dealer, there is mention of the need for money for the elections in those audio clips...”, Trivedi claimed, posing five questions Congress.  

BJP's 5 Questions to Congress

• Are you (Congress) involved in the Bitcoin transaction? 
• Are you in contact with this person named Gaurav Gupta or Mehta? 
• The chats are yours (of your leaders) or not? 
• The audio in the audio clips is yours or not? 
• Who are the 'big people'?

Supriya Sule Reacts 

• Denying all the charges, Supriya Sule said, "I deny all the allegations levelled against me by Sudhanshu Trivedi. All this is conjecture and innuendo, and I am ready for a debate with any representative of the BJP at a time and date of their choice, in a public forum. It’s appalling that such baseless allegations are made by Mr Sudhanshu Trivedi, yet not surprising as it’s a clear case of spreading false information, the night before elections. My lawyer will be issuing a criminal & civil defamation notice against Sudhanshu Trivedi for making outrightly false allegations with an intent to deceive the public at large."   

• She also stated that they have filed a criminal complaint to the ECI & the Cybercrime department against the allegations.  
• "Familiar tactics of spreading false information to manipulate the righteous voters are being resorted to, a night before the polling day. We have filed a criminal complaint to the Hon’ble ECI & the Cyber crime department against the fake allegations made of bitcoin misappropriation. The intent and mala fide actors behind it are amply evident, condemn worthy that such practices are taking place in a healthy democracy guided by the Constitution of India", Sule said in a tweet on X. 

What Former IPS Had Alleged? 

A former IPS officer alleged that Amitabh Gupta, then Commissioner of Police, Pune, and Bhagyashri Nautake, then Deputy Commissioner of Police handling the Cyber Crime Investigations were involved in the misappropriation of bitcoins, which are eventually being used by the two political leaders. 

The allegations against Patole and Sule follow an incident of high drams on Tuesday after the workers of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) created a ruckus outside a hotel located at Nalasopara assembly constituency in Palghar district accusing the BJP of “distributing money.”

Who is ex-IPS Ravindranath Patil?

Ravindranath Patil is a former IPS officer of the 2004 batch and since 2010, he was working as a Cyber Expert in the corporate sector. During the investigation of the 2018 Bitcoin Fraud Case, he was appointed to conduct a forensic audit. Four years later, he was named as an accused for the alleged misappropriation of bitcoins amounting to 5 Crores, and he spent nearly 14 months in Yerawada Central Prison as an undertrial. Currently, he is a practising advocate in the Bombay High Court.  

Cash For Vote vs Bitcoin Charge | How it All Started?

It all started when the BVA workers created a ruckus outside the Vivanta Hotel in Virar where BJP leader Vinod Tawde was holding a meeting with the party workers. Notably, Vinod Tawde dismissed the charge levelled by BVA that the BJP was "distributing money" ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

"A meeting of MLAs of Nalasopara was underway. I went there to tell them about the Model Code of Conduct for the day of voting, how will voting machines be sealed and how to go about if an objection has to be made. The workers of the party (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Appa Thakur and Kshitij thought that we were distributing money. Let the Election Commission and Police inquire, let them get CCTV footage. I have been in the party for 40 years. Appa Thakur and Kshitij know me, and the entire party knows me. Still, I believe that the Election Commission should conduct an impartial investigation," Tawde said.

The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled for November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.

Note: Republic Media Network, across platforms and mediums of operation, cannot vouch for the authenticity of the alleged audio tapes, screenshots and recordings as released by the BJP.