New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS): The Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) on Monday carried out searches at six places in Gujarat against one of its inspectors and a private person after registering a case of corruption for allegedly threatening and extorting Rs 4.6 crore from a Gujarat-based businessman in 2018.

A senior CBI official told IANS, "The agency carried out searches at six locations in Gujarat's Surat and Gandhinagar at the residential premises of inspector Sunil Kumar Nair and a private person named Krit Madhubhai Paladiya."

The official said that a regular case has been registered after a preliminary enquiry by the agency looking into the allegations of the businessman.

According to the CBI, Nair then posted in Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) Gandhinagar and currently with the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) in Shillong, allegedly cooked up a case against businessman Shailesh Bhat in February 2018.

According to the CBI FIR, Nair allegedly told Bhat that he had strong evidence of the businessman "extorting Bitcoins" from another influential trader. "Nair then on February 5, 2018 called Bhat and threatened him with dire consequences of getting him raided by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax for earning black money from illegal acts and also demanded a bribe of Rs 10 crore to settle the matter.

The agency in its FIR alleged that Nair then called Bhat on February 7 again and asked him to come for extorting bitcoins from Dhawal Mawani on February 8. When Bhat appeared before Nair, he again threatened him to pay the bribe. "The deal was then finalised at Rs 5 crore and Bhat paid Rs 4.6 crore to Nair," the CBI said.

"It is only later that Bhat realised that there was no such case against him and that he was fooled by the inspector." A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy has been registered against the inspector and his associate.