CBI summons audit company employee Gaurav Mehta in Bitcoin ponzi scam case
New Delhi, Nov 20: The CBI on Wednesday summoned Gaurav Mehta, an audit company employee, in connection with the over Rs 6,000-crore Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam case registered by the agency on the directions of the Supreme Court, officials said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has directed Mehta to appear before the investigating officer of the case as soon as possible, they said. The top court handed over the case to the CBI in December last year.
The agency has taken over the investigation into cases related to the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi scheme registered by various state police all over the country.
Maharashtra and Delhi police had registered multiple cases against Variable Tech Pte Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj and Ajay Bhardwaj and others for allegedly running multi-level-marketing (MLM) schemes through which they allegedly collected around Rs 6,600 crore in the form of Bitcoins in 2017 from gullible people while offering 10 per cent monthly return in the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoins, a cryptocurrency, are not controlled by any central bank of any country.
The CBI notice to Mehta came close on the heels of searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at his premises.
The ED said it has widened its probe into the Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam case and was investigating the "links" of Mehta and some others with politicians, bureaucrats and politically exposed people.
Mehta's name was also mentioned by former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil, who was arrested in a 2018 cryptocurrency "fraud" case being probed by the Pune Police.
In his complaint sent to the Election Commission via email, Patil said according to the chats, he claims to possess, it appears that hundreds of Bitcoins worth billions of rupees may have been pumped in the assembly polls and the previous Lok Sabha elections.
It also appears that Mehta currently has misappropriated Bitcoins, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, Patil has said in the complaint.
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Hardik Pandya reclaims top spot among T20I all-rounders, Tilak jumps 69 places to 3rd among batters
Dubai, Nov 20: Star India player Hardik Pandya on Wednesday re-claimed the top spot in the T20I all-rounders' list while rising star and teammate Tilak Varma made a massive jump of 69 rungs to occupy the third place among batters in the latest ICC men's player rankings.
Pandya overtook England dasher Liam Livingstone and Nepal dynamo Dipendra Singh Airee at the top of the T20I all-rounder charts on the back of some strong form during India's recent series in South Africa, with the 31-year-old producing some eye-catching efforts with both bat and ball.
His innings of 39 not out in the second game of the four-match series helped balance India's innings, while his spell of 1/8 from three overs during the decisive fourth contest ensured his side claim an impressive 3-1 series triumph.
It is the second time Pandya has held the No.1 ranking for T20I all-rounders, with the consistent India performer first rising to the top at the end of this year's ICC men's T20 World Cup.
Pandya wasn't the only India player to make giant strides in the latest rankings update, with Player of the Series and rising player Varma shooting up the batting charts a whopping 69 places following his two centuries and 280 runs for the series against the Proteas.
The rise sees Varma improve to third place overall behind No.1-ranked T20I batter Travis Head and England's Phil Salt and means he is now the highest-rated batter from India, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav dropping one spot to fourth behind him.
Teammate Sanju Samson -- who also managed two centuries during the series with South Africa -- climbs 17 spots to 22nd on the same list for T20I batters.
Australian duo Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis are among the biggest movers on the updated rankings for T20I bowlers, with India seamer Arshdeep Singh gaining three places to move to ninth and a new career-high rating following his efforts against South Africa.
