Bitcoin Scandal Rocks Maharashtra Elections: High-Profile Allegations Surface

The Enforcement Directorate raids Gaurav Mehta's premises amid a bitcoin scam linked to the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Allegations arose from ex-IPS officer Ravindranath Patil against NCP leader Supriya Sule and Congress's Nana Patole. Sule and Patole deny charges, accusing BJP of fabricating lies pre-election.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the premises of Gaurav Mehta, an employee of Sarathi Associates, amid an alleged bitcoin scam related to the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The raids unfolded in Raipur, Chhattisgarh following a cybercrime complaint by NCP's Supriya Sule, raising questions about cryptocurrency's role in election financing.

Ex-Indian Police Service officer Ravindranath Patil accused NCP leader Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole of misappropriating bitcoins from a 2018 fraud case. Patil claims these bitcoins are being used to fund the ongoing elections. He leveled accusations against former Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta and Deputy Commissioner Bhagyashri Nautake as well.

Sule and Patole have denied the charges, branding them as false and politically motivated attacks by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They have both initiated legal actions for defamation. The BJP and NCP called for a thorough investigation to clarify these serious allegations, which emerge as Maharashtra approaches a crucial electoral juncture.

(With inputs from agencies.)