Nagpur (MH):The Maharashtra police have confiscated two mobile phones and two SIM cards from an inmate at Belgaum jail, Jayesh Kantha, also known as Pujari, who had made threatening calls to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari around two months ago.
The police initiated an investigation after receiving three consecutive threat calls on Tuesday at Gadkari's Nagpur public relations office. Primary investigation revealed that the threat calls were made from a Bangalore native woman's mobile phone. Suspecting Pujari, the police conducted a search operation at Belgaum jail on Wednesday, according to Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
Addressing the media, Kumar stated that the police are investigating the case, and the woman's involvement has not yet been established. The woman is currently undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Bangalore, and the police will interrogate her after her discharge.
Pujari, who was sentenced to death in a 2016 murder case, made threatening calls to Union Minister Gadkari on January 14. The police had earlier recovered a diary consisting of several VIPs' contact information from him.
Also read: Nitin Gadkari receives threat calls demanding Rs 10 crore ransom
Gadkari's Nagpur public relations office received three threat calls demanding a ransom of 10 crore rupees and threatening to kill the Union Minister if the ransom was not paid. The police have registered a case at Bajaj Nagar police station in Nagpur city and launched a thorough investigation into the matter. Commissioner Kumar added that security has been beefed up at Gadkari's public relations office and residence in Nagpur, and the police are working to identify and arrest the culprit.
Threats to public officials are not uncommon in India, with some politicians receiving hundreds of such calls and messages every day. However, the recent incident involving Union Minister Gadkari has highlighted the need for better security measures and strict enforcement of laws to prevent such incidents. The police have been proactive in their response to the threat, and their investigation is ongoing.
The use of mobile phones by inmates in Indian jails has been a contentious issue for some time now. Despite efforts to curb the practice, many prisoners continue to use smuggled mobile phones to communicate with the outside world. In recent years, there have been several instances of inmates using mobile phones to coordinate criminal activities, including extortion and murder. The police are expected to take strict action against Pujari and any other individuals involved in the threatening calls to Union Minister Gadkari.
