Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a 3,500-page prosecution complaint (chargesheet) against alleged serial hacker Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki, cryptocurrency trader Robin Khandelwal and businessman Sunish Hegde in a money laundering case linked to cybercrime, cryptocurrency transactions and extortion.
The chargesheet, filed before a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), outlines what the agency describes as a sophisticated network involving hacking, darknet operations, cyber extortion and the laundering of crores of rupees through cryptocurrency.
Besides the three principal accused, the prosecution complaint also names a private company and two individuals for their alleged involvement in the case.
ED outlines roles of the accused
According to the ED, Srikrishna Ramesh, popularly known as Sriki, allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency exchanges, gaming platforms and corporate servers in India and abroad.
The agency has accused him of hacking the Karnataka government’s e-procurement portal and siphoning off ₹11.5 crore. He is also alleged to have breached the systems of cryptocurrency exchange Unocoin and several online poker platforms.
Businessman Sunish Hegde has been accused of financing Sriki’s lifestyle and allegedly coercing him into targeting online gaming platforms. The ED claims Hegde orchestrated extortion operations that forced compromised platforms to pay more than ₹2 crore in cash, casino chips and virtual assets.
Robin Khandelwal, a cryptocurrency trader, allegedly acted as the financial conduit by using multiple international cryptocurrency platforms to layer and transfer stolen virtual assets. The ED alleges that the laundered proceeds were routed to accounts controlled by Sriki and his associates.
Accused remain in judicial custody
The three accused were arrested by the ED in May and are currently lodged in judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
With the filing of the prosecution complaint, the case will now proceed before the special PMLA court, where the allegations and evidence presented by the ED will be examined. The charges levelled by the agency are yet to be tested during the course of the trial.