Bengaluru businessman robbed of Rs 2 crore cash while attempting conversion to cryptocurrency, 2 arrested
A gang of six to seven miscreants allegedly robbed a Bengaluru businessman of Rs 2 crore in cash while he was trying to convert it into cryptocurrency recently.
The businessman, Sriharsha V, 33, who operates a firm called Aerivon Oxygen Pvt Ltd in west Bengaluru, was allegedly robbed at the premises of A K Enterprises, a private firm, where he had arrived on Wednesday afternoon to convert the cash into USDT cryptocurrency through a contact provided by his associates.
According to the police complaint filed by the businessman, he was seeking to convert the cash to facilitate the purchase of a machine from Germany to start a cold-pressed oil business. He was reportedly informed by some of his associates to contact a man called Benjamin Harish to facilitate the conversion of the cash to the USDT cryptocurrency. Following an interaction with Harish, Sriharsha was asked to come to the office of A K Enterprises at MS Palya in Vidyaranyapura police limits.
The complaint further stated that when Sriharsha arrived at the office of A K Enterprises in the company of his two associates, he was met by Harish and his associate Rakshit. While they were counting the cash with a counting machine brought by Harish, a group of six to seven people allegedly barged into the office with knives and took away the Rs 2 crore cash and phones of the businessman and his associates. The gang allegedly locked the businessman, his associates, and the currency conversion agents in the office.
According to the complaint, the alleged money converter Harish and his associate Rakshit fled the crime scene when the shutter of the office was opened to free the businessman and the others.
The Vidyaranyapura police have lodged a case of dacoity under section 310 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The police have taken Harish and his associate into custody for questioning after they were named as suspects in the case by Sriharsha.
The source of the Rs 2 crore cash, which Sriharsha claimed to have borrowed to start the cold-pressed oil business, is also being investigated.