In a shocking case that has shaken India’s justice system and crypto community, fourteen individuals, including eleven police officers, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for orchestrating a kidnapping fueled by cryptocurrency. The suspects targeted businessman Shailesh Bhatt in 2018, who was tricked into stopping at a gas station under false pretenses by men posing as CBI officials. The kidnappers then held Bhatt hostage before demanding a ransom of 176 BTC and ₹32 crore in cash. After initially surrendering a portion of his cryptocurrency holdings, Bhatt’s attempt to deliver the demanded cash failed when a courier became suspicious, leaving only Bitcoin as leverage. The case has been seen as a significant victory for India’s legal system, highlighting the vulnerability of large cryptocurrency holders and exposing potential corruption within law enforcement.