Gandhinagar:

A local court here today extended remand of Amreli SP Jagdish Patel to CID-crime till May 5 for further interrogation and investigation in connection with sensational Bitcoin extortion and loot case in which he was arrested on April 23 after long interrogation at the CID-crime headquarters in capital Gandhinagar.

Earlier the court had allowed 8 days remand of him ie till May 1 (today) on his production in the designated ACB court here.

He was produced in the same court today which extended his remand till May 5. The CID-crime had demanded 6 days remand.

The CID-Crime counsel submitted before the court that in the wake of several new revelations and non-arrest of several other accused in the case, Patel was needed to be further interrogated. It was also informed to the court by the prosecution that some new documents have been found during raid on the houses of some other accused who worked under Amreli SP. For scrutiny of these documents too his remand was needed.

Notably, another key accused of the case former PI of LCB Amreli, has been sent to judicial custody since yesterday on completion of his remand.

The sensational case has been lodged on the complaint of Surat builder Shailesh Bhatt, who has alleged that he was kidnapped by PI Anant Patel and several other policemen of Amreli LCB. Bhatt alleged that after his abduction from Gandhinagar, he was kept in a farm house near hare under abduction from where he was forced to reveal the code for transfer of 200 bitcoins worth Rs 12 crore. He has also alleged that one of his partner Kirit Paladia was the main conspirator and also former MLA Kotadia and his relative Sanjay Kotadia were involved in it.

PI Anant Patel on his arrest earlier this month alleged that he had abducted the builder on instructions from SP Jagdish Patel.

DeshGujarat