Ex-MLA Nalin Kotadiya, ex-IPS officer among 14 sentenced to life term in bitcoin extortion case

Ahmedabad: A local court on Friday sentenced 14 people, including former BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya and ex-IPS officer Jagdish Patel, to life imprisonment in a high-profile 2018 case involving bitcoin extortion and the kidnapping of a builder.

The ACB Special Court of the City Sessions Court found all but one accused guilty in the case. The case revolves around the abduction of builder Shailesh Bhatt by a group allegedly including Gujarat police officers. The group seized 200 bitcoins and demanded a ransom of ₹32 crore.

Case details reveal that the accused, including Kotadiya, learned that Bhatt and his associates had previously stolen bitcoins worth ₹150 crore from Surat businessman Dhawal Mawani. Acting on this information, they conspired to rob Bhatt, implicating several senior officials.

Nalin Kotadia

The plot reportedly involved CBI Inspector Sunil Nair, who accepted ₹5 crore in cash. With police support, the group successfully extorted 200 bitcoins, valued at around ₹12 crore at the time.

Following Bhatt’s formal complaint, CID Crime conducted a detailed investigation, leading to the arrest of 15 people, including then-Amreli District Police Superintendent Jagdish Patel and other officers, including Anant Patel.

During the trial, the court examined evidence and testimonies, convicting 14 of the 15 defendants. Jatin Patel was acquitted of all charges. DeshGujarat