Surat : ED Gets Four-Day Custody in Rs.69.61 Crore Bitcoin Case

SURAT: A special court in Surat has granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) partial custodial remand of an accused in a cryptocurrency investment case involving alleged public fund collection and suspected proceeds of crime amounting to ₹69.61 crore. The agency will question Divyesh Dhansukhlal Darji, also known as Divyesh Dhansukhlal Nagar, over Bitcoin wallets, digital transactions and the alleged movement of funds.

The Principal District and Sessions Court of Surat, designated as a Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, passed the order on October 10, 2026. Special Judge Rahul Arunkumar Trivedi partly allowed the ED’s application seeking seven days of custodial interrogation.

Under the order, Darji was remanded for questioning from 2 pm on October 10 to 5 pm on October 14, giving the agency nearly four days of custody.

ED Seeks Answers on Bitcoin Wallets

The case is registered under Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) No. ECIR/AMZO/01/2019. According to the remand application, the investigation concerns allegations that funds were collected from members of the public under the guise of a Bitcoin investment scheme and that proceeds of crime were generated through financial transactions.

The court noted the need for further investigation into Bitcoin wallets allegedly linked to the accused and his family members, transactions between the wallets, the identities of beneficiaries, and the control and management of the accounts.

The proceedings also refer to ₹69,61,02,735 in connection with the alleged predicate offence.

ED Cites Need for Custodial Interrogation

Special Public Prosecutor Hardik Subhashbhai Shah, appearing for the ED, argued that personal interrogation was necessary to establish links between transactions across multiple Bitcoin wallets, trace the flow of funds and identify the ultimate beneficiaries.

The agency also sought clarifications on how the accounts were managed and how the alleged proceeds of crime moved through the digital financial network.

After a preliminary examination of the ECIR and remand report, the court found grounds for further custodial questioning but granted only part of the seven-day period sought by the ED.

Court Orders Medical Safeguards

The court directed that the accused be produced with a medical report from the concerned civil hospital, taking his medical condition into account. It also ordered strict compliance with Supreme Court guidelines governing custodial interrogation.