The Karnataka CID police, delving into the Bitcoin scam, have released a public notice urging assistance in locating Sridhar Poojar, a deputy superintendent of police wanted for questioning in connection with the case.
Poojar has been evading authorities since being denied anticipatory bail on February 23 regarding the scam. Allegations against him include purported attempts to breach various cryptocurrency wallets, payment gateways, and stock exchange websites in collaboration with hacker Sriki, who stands accused in multiple cases.
On February 27, Poojar allegedly collided his car with a motorcycle carrying two police officers from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) assigned to arrest him, before fleeing the scene.
Among the four former City Crime Branch (CCB) officials implicated in the case, Poojar’s name stands out. Previously, the SIT had apprehended Prashanth Babu, a former police inspector with the CCB, and private cyber expert Santhosh Kumar KS. Additionally, Chandradhar SR and Lakshmikanthaiah, both associated with the CCB during the scam, are under scrutiny.
The police notice indicates Poojar as accused number five in the ongoing investigation by the Financial Investigation Unit of the CID. The process to declare him a Proclaimed Offender under Section 82 of CrPC is underway. The notice assures suitable rewards for any information leading to his apprehension, with informant details kept confidential.
A special court, while rejecting Poojar’s anticipatory bail in February, suggested prima facie evidence indicating misconduct following hacker Sriki’s arrest in 2020. The officers are suspected of unlawfully detaining Sriki and his associate prior to their official arrest.
Last month, IPS officer Sandeep Patil, who headed the Bengaluru Crime Branch from 2020 to 2021, appeared before the SIT as the supervisory officer in the hacker-related cases.
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