ED’s 3,500-page charge sheet maps Bengaluru hacker Sriki’s darknet and crypto laundering network behind govt portal breach
BENGALURU: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a 3,500-page prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against serial hacker Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki, cryptocurrency trader Robin Khandelwal, and businessman Sunish Hegde.Besides the three prime accused, the charge sheet also names a private company and two individuals for their alleged roles in the offence.Filed before a special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the charge sheet provides a comprehensive blueprint of a sophisticated network that allegedly combined high-level hacking, darknet operations, cyber extortion and multi-crore cryptocurrency laundering.The three accused were arrested by the ED in May and have since been lodged in judicial custody at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
Roles of the accused, according to the charge sheet:Srikrishna alias Sriki: A highly skilled software programmer who allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in national and international cryptocurrency exchanges, gaming platforms and corporate servers. Notably, Sriki is accused of breaching the Karnataka government’s e-procurement portal to siphon off Rs 11.5 crore. He is also alleged to have hacked the Unocoin cryptocurrency exchange and several major online poker platforms.Sunish Hegde (the extortionist and financier): A politically connected gambling businessman and contractor. According to the ED, Hegde financed Sriki’s lavish lifestyle and coerced him into hacking online poker platforms. He allegedly orchestrated extortion operations, forcing compromised gaming portals to pay over Rs 2 crore in cash, casino chips and virtual assets.Robin Khandelwal (the money launderer): A cryptocurrency trader who allegedly acted as the financial conduit. According to the ED, Khandelwal used multiple international cryptocurrency platforms to layer and offload stolen virtual assets. He allegedly transferred the laundered proceeds into accounts controlled by Sriki and his associates.
