The prime accused within the now notorious Bitcoin case, Srikrishna Ramesh or Srikky, has allegedly made away with hundreds of bitcoins over the previous five-six years.
This case has now created havoc in Karnataka, particularly amongst politicians and cops. Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah took to social media to allege a big conspiracy.
He stated, “There’s details about the involvement of influential politicians of Karnataka in Medicine & Bitcoin rip-off. It’s regarding that the investigating officers try to shut the case to assist these politicians. @BJP4India govt shouldn’t use their energy to divert the investigation. They need to be certain that the responsible is punished.”
Black hat hacker whereas in class
Sources inform India Right this moment that Srikrishna started to take an curiosity in computer systems whereas within the 4th customary and later immersed himself in varied pc languages and applied sciences. It’s alleged that he hacked into the primary web site whereas in class and used to change his and others’ attendance and marks commonly.
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He later joined as a Black hat hacker and was made an administrator within the eighth grade. It’s acknowledged that he would hold involved with hackers from all over the world via Web Relay Chat (IRC) which is a text-based chat (on the spot messaging) system. Within the Black hat hacker world, Srikrishna Ramesh is understood by his aliases Rose and Huge Boss.
Considered one of his first escapades was with an Australian hacker named Shane D. Each allegedly managed to hack PayPal’s account transaction web site. Later, he would hack gaming functions and switch the ill-gotten wealth to his PayPal account. All this befell whereas he was nonetheless finding out at VV Puram Faculty.
Whereas in school, he bought into consuming and medicines. As a result of his obsession with medicine, he started to hack into extra corporations to steal cash. He would buy bitcoins and use them to procure drugs on the darknet.
Web sites hacked by him embrace BTC2pm.me – the place folks alternate bitcoins for cash; Havelock Funding – a inventory buying and selling platform for bitcoin customers; Paytiz – a Bangladeshi alternate; MPEX – an unlawful cryptocurrency buying and selling platform; and Mixexchage – a Ukrainian platform and plenty of extra.
SRIKRISHNA HOODWINKS BENGALURU POLICE
His luck ran out in November 2020 when a few of his associates allegedly went to a publish workplace in Bengaluru to gather a parcel of ganja. Based on sources, Srikrishna transferred funds to Robin Khandelwal, who ran a Bitcoin buying and selling service, to buy medicine on the darknet.
2020 #BitcoinScam rocks #Karnataka govt, Rs 11 crore siphoned off, #Congress alleges cover-up | #ITVideo pic.twitter.com/ohxH6yJGRA
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 1, 2021
He was then arrested within the drug case, however this opened Pandora’s Field. The Bengaluru Police discovered Srikrishna was concerned in a number of different crimes within the metropolis. Moreover, a CID cybercrime cell probe that was in progress on the identical time into the e-procurement cell hacking additionally unearthed technical proof linking him to the crime.
The police then claimed to have recovered 31 bitcoins valued at Rs 9 crore from the alleged hacker. Nonetheless, it’s alleged that Srikrishna had misled crime department officers into believing he had entry to bitcoins that have been really in alternate and never in his possession, and this led to the declare of the restoration of bitcoins.
ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE INVESTIGATING ILLEGAL WEALTH OF SRIKRISHNA
The ED is now investigating all his unlawful wealth and the siphoning of Rs 11.5 crore of funds from the e-procurement cell of the Karnataka e-governance centre. The company took up investigations based mostly on circumstances registered by the Bengaluru cybercrime police and town’s central crime department police.
Srikrishna Ramesh was questioned lately by the ED in reference to a case registered earlier this 12 months by the company into the alleged hacking of accounts of bitcoin holders between 2018 and 2020, and the encashment of the bitcoins by the hawala route after sale to 3rd events.
As per information studies, in chargesheet filed by CCB police, it’s recorded that the accused has looted 5000 Bit cash via unethical hacking.
Who holds these Bit cash now?
Have they bought it transferred to accounts of investigating businesses?
Or are they clueless#Bitcoinscam pic.twitter.com/axDO6gwdbm
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 1, 2021
In August, the ED connected Rs 1.44 crore of funds parked within the account of a UP agency Nimmi Enterprises from the Rs 11.5 crore that was stolen by hacking the Karnataka e-procurement cell.
The ED had additionally knowledgeable the courtroom that since 2018, he and his associates have extorted funds from corporations and people by threatening to destroy essential knowledge accessed by hacking and have amassed wealth by promoting bitcoins illegally and hacking reputed web sites.
Rs 6 crore allegedly stolen from the Karnataka e-procurement cell, after the funds have been accessed via hacking by him and associates, has not been discovered but.
WHO EXACTLY IS SRIKRISHNA
Srikrishna is a 25-year-old software program programmer. A resident of Jayanagar in Bengaluru, he accomplished his education within the metropolis after which went to Amsterdam in 2014 to check pc science.
WHAT WAS HIS MODUS OPERANDI?
Srikrishna had a number of accomplices and associates who helped him in crime.
Srikrishna would buy medicine from the darkish internet utilizing Bitcoins after which have them delivered to Chamarajapet Overseas Postal Workplace. Then he or one among his accomplices would gather the consignment from the publish workplace. They’d generally promote these medicine and at different instances devour them.
File photograph of Srikrishna Ramesh or Srikky, prime accused within the Bitcoin case
He would additionally hack poker web sites, steal important knowledge, and blackmail the homeowners into paying him no matter he needed.
“He has been lively within the Bitcoin commerce. Not too long ago, he was additionally concerned in a case registered at KG Nagar police station in South Bengaluru. He supplied Bitcoins for buying medicine via the darknet, and we’re investigating his actions,” Police Commissioner Kamal Pant had advised India Right this moment TV.
FINALLY, IN THE NET
On November 4, he obtained a parcel containing Hydro Ganja from overseas on the Chamarajapet overseas publish workplace. Considered one of his contacts, recognized as M Sujay B Mohanraj, collected it and was caught. This was the primary breakthrough within the case.
Upon additional interrogation, Sujay led the police to Sunish Hegde, Prasad Shetty and Srikrishna. They have been booked by the Kempe Gowda Nagar Police who then handed over the case to the Central Crime Department (CCB).
In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Sunish and Prasad have been associated and that they have been sourcing the medicine by way of the darkish internet with the assistance of Srikrishna after which distributing and consuming it.
WHAT WAS SRIKRISHNA UPTO?
After getting back from Amsterdam, Srikrishna was a really busy man. He’s accused of hacking into Indian poker web sites and a web based gaming web site known as RuneScape. With the cash he made, he would occasion at Sunish and Prasad’s flat the place medicine could be consumed and bought.
In 2018, he was concerned in a felony case the place he and Mohammed Nalapad, son of MLA NA Haris, allegedly assaulted a person in UB Metropolis. Sources stated the bone of competition within the pub brawl was the hacking providers of Srikrishna.
