The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches on Wednesday at the Raipur premises of Gaurav Mehta in connection with a bitcoin transactions case linked to Maharashtra’s ongoing elections. The raids, part of a money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), are focused on Mehta’s alleged role in the case, according to official sources.
The BJP has accused NCP leader Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole of illegally using bitcoins to fund election campaigns, sharing a purported audio recording they claim implicates Sule. Sule has denied the allegations. The ED is investigating claims that Mehta and associates collected substantial funds, valued at Rs 6,600 crore in 2017, by luring the public with false promises of a 10% monthly return in bitcoin.
The investigation originates from police FIRs registered in Maharashtra and Delhi. As polling for the Maharashtra Assembly elections is underway, the case has garnered political attention, with allegations of financial misconduct becoming a contentious issue between rival parties.