ED arrests Sriki, Robin in Bitcoin scam

Bengaluru

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested international hacker Srikikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki, Robin Khadelwal and Sunish Hegde in connection with the sensational Bitcoin scam case that has been under investigation for several years. The trio have been taken into the custody of the central agency for further interrogation.

The arrests come nearly 18 days after the ED conducted extensive raids at 13 locations across Bengaluru and other places on April 20, 2026, as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the alleged cryptocurrency scam and illegal financial transactions.

Sources familiar with the developments said that Sriki, Robin and Sunish were summoned by the ED on April 8 for questioning regarding certain suspicious transactions and financial trails allegedly connected to the scam. After several rounds of interrogation that reportedly continued till late in the night, the three accused were formally arrested by the agency. Subsequently, the ED approached the court seeking their custodial interrogation, which was granted.

The arrests have come as a major surprise to many observers as the accused had been regularly appearing before the ED office in Bengaluru whenever summoned following the recent raids. According to sources, there had been no immediate indication that the agency was preparing to arrest them.

Highly placed sources told blrpost.com that the arrests could be linked to the alleged e-procurement hacking case in which Sriki is accused of breaching the state government’s e-procurement portal and siphoning off funds through fraudulent transactions. The matter was earlier investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had reportedly uncovered crucial digital and financial evidence during its probe.

Sources further indicated that the ED is examining the money trail and the alleged beneficiaries connected to the hacking and cryptocurrency operations. Investigators are also said to be scrutinising financial transactions, digital wallets and communications linked to the accused persons.

It may be recalled that Karnataka Youth Congress leader Mohammad Harris Nalapad has not yet been arrested in the case. However, according to highly placed sources, investigators suspect that he was among those who allegedly benefited from Sriki’s activities. The ED is believed to be analysing additional evidence before taking further action.

Sources added that more arrests are likely in the coming days as the investigation progresses and fresh leads emerge in the multi-crore Bitcoin scam case, which had earlier triggered significant political controversy in Karnataka.