SIT to Investigate Cryptocurrency Fraud Cases

Shimla, September 25: In response to a question posed by legislator Hoshiyar Singh during the question hour in the Vidhan Sabha, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Director-General of Police for the Northern region, Abhishek Dullar, would investigate cases of fraud involving cryptocurrency in Himachal Pradesh. The investigation committee will include experienced officers who have previously worked with the CBI or other investigative agencies.

Agnihotri expressed concern over the increasing number of scams and frauds being perpetrated under the guise of cryptocurrency in the state. He highlighted that individuals seeking to make quick money were falling prey to such schemes. The legislator also alleged that some fraudulent companies were enjoying political protection.

He cited cases of scams amounting to over 10 crores in the Dharamsala region alone. Hoshiyar Singh further appealed to the government to conduct a thorough investigation into these matters. He claimed that political patronage was facilitating these scams and mentioned the names of some companies involved.

The Deputy Chief Minister acknowledged that such cases of fraud were prevalent not only in the Dharamsala region but across the entire state. To date, six FIRs have been filed, and 56 complaints have been received by the police. Five accused have already been arrested in connection with these cases.

Agnihotri asserted that they currently had no information about any political involvement in these cases. He also shared that the state had seen a significant increase in revenue from the auctioning of liquor contracts, attributing it to the transparent auction process. The state government’s revenue is expected to rise by 40% through these auctions.