An Indian anti-corruption court has sentenced 14 individuals, including 11 police officers and a former BJP MLA, to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and extortion of cryptocurrency from businessman Shailesh Bhatt in 2018. Special Judge B.B. Jadav in Ahmedabad convicted the group for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping for ransom, illegal detention, and assault. The case arose after Bhatt managed to recover part of his investment in Bitcoin, leading former MLA Nalin Kotadiya and senior police officials to allegedly plot to seize the cryptocurrency. Bhatt was abducted and beaten into confessing that he had received 752 Bitcoin, which he stored with an associate. He was released only after agreeing to transfer a portion of the Bitcoin and $3.6 million in cash, with authorities later discovering illegal acts by the involved police officers. The court also ordered the confiscation of gold recovered from one of the convicted officials, furthering the case's implications in the fight against corruption.

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