Gujarat Bitcoin Kidnapping Scam Verdict: Former BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya, Ex-Amreli SP Jagdish Patel Sentenced to Life

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Ahmedabad: In one of Gujarat’s most high-profile financial crime cases, the ACB Special Court of Ahmedabad City Sessions on Friday handed life imprisonment to 14 individuals, including former BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya and ex-Amreli SP and IPS officer Jagdish Patel, in the sensational 2018 Bitcoin scam and kidnapping case.

The case, which rocked Gujarat’s political and policing system, centered on the kidnapping of Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt, the seizure of 200 Bitcoins, and a ransom demand of ₹32 crore. Prosecution revealed that the accused, including police officers, politicians, middlemen, and businessmen, forcibly abducted Bhatt from Gandhinagar and held him at a farmhouse, extorting both cryptocurrency and cash after discovering that Bhatt himself had allegedly acquired cryptocurrency worth ₹150 crore from Surat businessman Dhawal Mawani.

Special Public Prosecutor Amit Patel termed the case “not just a scam but a nexus of politics, police, and corruption,” highlighting the deep collusion involved.

Among the convicted were Amreli LCB PI Anant Patel, CBI Inspector Sunil Nair, lawyer Ketan Patel, and businessman Kirit Paladiya, alongside Kotadiya and Patel. Only Jatin Patel was acquitted, while the rest received life sentences.

A senior CID Crime official remarked: “Today’s verdict proves that no one is above the law. Even those in uniform and public office cannot misuse power to indulge in organized crime.” Investigations revealed that CBI Inspector Sunil Nair accepted a ₹5 crore bribe, and Amreli police seized Bitcoins valued at ₹12 crore.

The court heard that Kotadiya and Patel conspired with middlemen to target Bhatt. However, Bhatt himself faced allegations of criminal conduct, including kidnapping BitConnect officials and extorting 2,021 Bitcoins, 11,000 Litecoins, and ₹14.5 crore after losing over ₹1 crore in the company.

In his complaint, Bhatt accused SP Jagdish Patel, Nalin Kotadiya, and CBI officer Sunil Nair of threatening him with ED and Income Tax action, forcing him to pay crores as bribes.

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