14 Sentenced to Life: Bitcoin Extortion & Kidnapping Saga 🎭💸 #CryptoChaos

Once upon a time in Ahmedabad, a court decided to hand out life sentences like participation trophies 🏆. Fourteen souls, including a former BJP MLA and several esteemed police officers, were found guilty of Bitcoin-related shenanigans. Because nothing says “public service” like robbing crypto traders and kidnapping them from gas stations, right? 🚨

Back in 2018, Shailesh Bhatt, a builder-cum-Bitcoin-trader, was snatched from a gas station by cops in official vehicles. *So* subtle, guys. 🙄 They whisked him off to a farmhouse, stole 200 Bitcoins (worth ₹12 crore then), and demanded ₹32 crore more. Bonus points for ambition! 🎯 Oh, and someone impersonated a CBI agent to lure him in. Truly a *dedicated* method actor. 🎭

Plot twist: Turns out Bhatt had previously swiped ₹150 crore worth of Bitcoin from a dude named Dhawal Mawani. So the cops decided, “Why let this guy keep his ill-gotten gains?” 🤔 Classic Robin Hood vibes, but with less green tights and more police badges. 🕵️♂️

When Bhatt complained to the CID, they arrested 10 cops, including an SP and a PI. Shockingly, Jagdish Patel and Nalin Kotadiya (the MLA) emerged as masterminds. Kotadiya even went on the lam, because nothing says “innocent until proven guilty” like fleeing the country. 🏃♂️💨

Enter Inspector Sunil Nair of the CBI, who allegedly asked Bhatt for a bribe and threatened a fake investigation if he refused. Noble dedication to corruption, sir! 😏

The trial featured 172 witnesses for the prosecution. The defense? Called one person. *One*. The court, however, was unfazed by the 92 “hostile witnesses” 🤭-apparently, “hostile” just means “bad at lying under oath.” 🤥

Moral of the story: If you’re going to commit crimes in the crypto age, maybe skip the kidnapping part? 🤷♂️ Last month, Spain arrested Brits who kidnapped a crypto trader for £25K. Seems like everyone’s jumping on the “ransomware meets real life” bandwagon. 🌍💸

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2025-08-30 14:55