Nitin Gadkari receives threat calls demanding Rs 10 crore ransom

The Public Relation office of Union minister Nitin Gadkari yet again received threat calls. The caller demanded a ransom of Rs 10 crore. Police are investigating the matter.

Nagpur:Union minister Nitin Gadkari's Public Relations office at Nagpur's Khamla on Tuesday received two threat calls demanding a ransom of Rs 10 crore. The caller, identifying himself as Jayesh Kantha alias Pujari, rang at the landline number of the minister's office and demanded the ransom this morning. Earlier, a man with the same name had made threatening calls at Public Relation office in Khamla on January 14 and demanded a ransom of Rs 100 crore. The caller had then made three threat calls and claimed himself to be a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang.

After receiving the threat calls, the employees of Gadkari's office informed the Nagpur police. Senior police officials said they were investigating as to who made the call and from where. Even though the caller claimed to be Jayesh Kantha, his identity is not yet clear, police said. Meanwhile, security has been intensified outside the Union minister's residence and Nagpur's public relation office. A large number of police personnel were deployed later on.

The Union minister is scheduled reach Nagpur this evening to participate at the closing program of G-20. Gadkari tweeted that the prospect of hosting G-20 meetings has imbibed a sense of pride and excitement among the people of Nagpur and they are waiting eagerly to showcase their cultural heritage and hospitality before the world.

It may be mentioned here that two months ago after threat calls were received at the minister's office, police had conducted an investigation. It was found that the caller was an inmate of the Hindalga Jail and the call was made from the jail. He was accused in a murder case and was served a death sentence by a court.