Nagpur court convicts two in threat call, extortion case of Gadkari

A special court in Nagpur convicted Jayesh Pujari and Afsar Pasha in a case involving threat calls and extortion demands of Rs 100 crore made to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's office from a Belagavi prison. They were sentenced to 2-5 years.

A special court in Nagpur on Friday convicted Jayesh alias Jayeshkant alias Shahir alias Shakir Pujari and Afsar Pasha alias Bashiruddin alias Khushiruddin Mohammad in a threat call and extortion case linked to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Anilkumar K Sharma in a case registered at Dhantoli Police Station.

The Allegations

According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly made threatening calls from Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi to Gadkari's office landline number, demanding extortion amounts of Rs 100 crore and Rs 10 crore. The callers allegedly threatened bomb blasts and warned of serious consequences if the money was not paid.

Investigation and Evidence

Police said the investigation revealed that different mobile numbers were allegedly used from inside the prison for issuing threats and extortion-related communications.

During the probe, investigators collected technical and electronic evidence, including SIM cards, Call Detail Records (CDR), bank transactions, mobile messages and witness statements.

Police also claimed that objectionable messages and alleged links with banned organisations, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the D-Gang network, surfaced during the investigation.

The Verdict

The case, registered under FIR No. 78/2023 and a related crime case. Another accused in the case, Mohammad Shakir s/o Mohammad Hanif, remains absconding.

The court sentenced both accused to rigorous imprisonment ranging from two to five years under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with all sentences ordered to run concurrently. However, both accused were acquitted under Section 20 of the UAPA Act.

Prosecution's Case

The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Adv. Vedika Patil examined 64 witnesses within nearly one-and-a-half months and presented technical, documentary and electronic evidence before the court.

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