India: 14 people sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping of a businessman and extortion of 752 Bitcoin
Kidnappings, threats, crypto and bitcoin. This explosive cocktail, once relegated to thrillers, now invades our connected reality. From Dubai to Lagos, from Bangkok to Paris, kidnappings related to the crypto sphere continue to multiply. Behind the golden mirror of quick profit, a parallel world operates in the shadows, targeting digital wallet holders. In India, the curtain has fallen on a case worthy of a film noir: a former BJP MP and eleven police officers sentenced for a crypto abduction.
In brief
- In 2018, Shailesh Bhatt recovers 752 bitcoins lost in the BitConnect scam, becoming a target.
- Former MP Nalin Kotadiya then orchestrates his kidnapping with corrupt Gujarat police officers.
- Bhatt is kidnapped, beaten, and forced to transfer 34 bitcoin and promise 3.6 million $.
- After investigation, 14 defendants are sentenced to life imprisonment; 173 witnesses were heard at the trial.
Bitcoin under high tension: review of a crypto-predator case
It was in 2018. Shailesh Bhatt, an entrepreneur from Surat, managed to recover part of his funds lost in the BitConnect case: 752 bitcoins. The rumor quickly spread. Figures in uniform sensed the scent of loot. It was 11 police officers from Amreli, a former senior CBI officer and former BJP MP Nalin Kotadiya who then devised a plan. Objective: to seize these bitcoins.
On February 11, Bhatt was kidnapped and taken to Keshav Farm, near Gandhinagar. Beaten, threatened, he was forced to give up 34 BTC and organize a transfer of 3.6 million dollars. The extortion did not stop there: the kidnappers also recovered 200 bitcoins, said to belong to one of his associates.
The trial revealed a well-oiled machine, where uniforms no longer served justice, but their greed. Items seized at SP Jagdish Patel’s home, such as gold of dubious origin, were confiscated by the court.
The verdict shaking India: 14 life sentences pronounced
In August 2025, judge B.B. Jadav delivered his verdict: 14 life sentences. The prosecution mobilized 173 witnesses. It is one of the most publicized crypto trials in the country. The main defendant, Kotadiya, former parliamentarian, becomes the symbol of deeply rooted political corruption.
This trial marks a turning point. It questions the integrity of institutions supposed to protect citizens. It also reminds that the crypto community is not only prey to anonymous hackers, but also to corrupt elites.
Some truths of the case
- 752 bitcoins extorted from Bhatt, worth over 80 million $ at current value;
- 14 life sentences, a first in a crypto case involving officials;
- 173 witnesses heard during the trial;
- Jagdish Patel, former IPS, possessed stolen gold;
- 5 crores INR (about 600,000 $) were allegedly paid to a CBI officer.
In this burning context, it’s hard to look away from another news story: in France, a former crypto trader was recently held hostage, his kidnappers demanding a ransom of 10,000 euros. An almost derisory amount compared to the millions in the Indian scene, but the message is clear. Crypto kidnappings no longer have borders.
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La révolution blockchain et crypto est en marche ! Et le jour où les impacts se feront ressentir sur l’économie la plus vulnérable de ce Monde, contre toute espérance, je dirai que j’y étais pour quelque chose
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