SHIMLA: In a cryptocurrency scam worth Rs 2,500 crore, approximately 5,000 government employees, including Himachal Pradesh police personnel, as well as individuals who had received compensation for their land acquired for various infrastructure projects, made substantial investments.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has determined that out of the total scam amount, around Rs 500 crore of people’s hard-earned money is unlikely to be recoverable.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri disclosed this information during an interaction with the media in Shimla on Saturday. He explained that the scammers had roped in about one lakh individuals in this digital fraud. To date, 300 complaints have been registered. The ongoing investigation has revealed that 100 people profited by more than Rs 2 crore each through this scheme, while 200 people earned over Rs one crore each.
The SIT has identified four key figures behind the entire scam, including Subhash Sharma, Hem Raj, and Sukhdev from Mandi district, and Abhisek from Una district. One of the main masterminds, Subhash Sharma, hailing from Sarkaghat in Mandi district, reportedly amassed Rs 200 crore and fled to Dubai with his wife before the scam came to light and a case was registered. His visa has since expired, and the state police are in the process of issuing a lookout notice for Subhash Sharma through Interpol.
A few individuals, including Abhishek from Una, earned Rs 500 crore through this digital scam. The SIT is currently interrogating those who profited more than Rs 2 crore from the scam. They have also seized 80 mobile phones and traced the website used to execute the scam. Notably, several police personnel had also invested in the scheme, and some even left their jobs to pursue earnings through the fraudulent operation.
A meeting was convened on Saturday morning to discuss the cryptocurrency scam, during which DGP Sanjay Kundu provided an update on the investigation’s progress. The SIT has acted swiftly and arrested 10 individuals thus far, with more arrests expected in the near future. Himachal Pradesh Police has managed to crack the cryptocurrency network and apprehended several individuals, including the accused Hemraj and Sukhdev from Mandi, as well as Arun Guleria and Abhishekh from Una. The main orchestrator, Subhash Sharma from Sarkaghat in Mandi district, remains at large but is expected to be apprehended soon.
In the meeting, Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu disclosed that the department had reconstructed the website involved in the cryptocurrency scam, which had approximately 2.5 lakh different IDs. Police have seized property worth Rs 8.5 crore at various locations in Himachal Pradesh and Zirakpur. They have also collaborated with Punjab Police, and the Ministry of Home Affairs has pledged its full support. Criminals involved in the scam are being prosecuted under the Banning of Unregulated Deposits Schemes (BUDS) Act of 2019, which carries more severe penalties for such offenses.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has determined that out of the total scam amount, around Rs 500 crore of people’s hard-earned money is unlikely to be recoverable.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri disclosed this information during an interaction with the media in Shimla on Saturday. He explained that the scammers had roped in about one lakh individuals in this digital fraud. To date, 300 complaints have been registered. The ongoing investigation has revealed that 100 people profited by more than Rs 2 crore each through this scheme, while 200 people earned over Rs one crore each.
The SIT has identified four key figures behind the entire scam, including Subhash Sharma, Hem Raj, and Sukhdev from Mandi district, and Abhisek from Una district. One of the main masterminds, Subhash Sharma, hailing from Sarkaghat in Mandi district, reportedly amassed Rs 200 crore and fled to Dubai with his wife before the scam came to light and a case was registered. His visa has since expired, and the state police are in the process of issuing a lookout notice for Subhash Sharma through Interpol.
A few individuals, including Abhishek from Una, earned Rs 500 crore through this digital scam. The SIT is currently interrogating those who profited more than Rs 2 crore from the scam. They have also seized 80 mobile phones and traced the website used to execute the scam. Notably, several police personnel had also invested in the scheme, and some even left their jobs to pursue earnings through the fraudulent operation.
A meeting was convened on Saturday morning to discuss the cryptocurrency scam, during which DGP Sanjay Kundu provided an update on the investigation’s progress. The SIT has acted swiftly and arrested 10 individuals thus far, with more arrests expected in the near future. Himachal Pradesh Police has managed to crack the cryptocurrency network and apprehended several individuals, including the accused Hemraj and Sukhdev from Mandi, as well as Arun Guleria and Abhishekh from Una. The main orchestrator, Subhash Sharma from Sarkaghat in Mandi district, remains at large but is expected to be apprehended soon.
In the meeting, Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu disclosed that the department had reconstructed the website involved in the cryptocurrency scam, which had approximately 2.5 lakh different IDs. Police have seized property worth Rs 8.5 crore at various locations in Himachal Pradesh and Zirakpur. They have also collaborated with Punjab Police, and the Ministry of Home Affairs has pledged its full support. Criminals involved in the scam are being prosecuted under the Banning of Unregulated Deposits Schemes (BUDS) Act of 2019, which carries more severe penalties for such offenses.
