NIA Special Team Arrives in Nagpur to Investigate Threatening Phone Calls to Union Transport Minister
A special team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is scheduled to arrive in Nagpur on Thursday to investigate threatening phone calls made to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The calls were traced back to murder convict Jayesh Pujari, also known as Kantha, who was apprehended by the Nagpur Police from prison in Belgavi, Karnataka.
Led by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank official, the NIA team is comprised of a battery of experts. The NIA has registered a case in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and the Mumbai team of the agency has been assigned the task of conducting the investigation. The team's primary focus is to uncover the extent of the terror network involved, with a specific emphasis on exploring the roles of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the underworld.
Upon arriving in Nagpur, the NIA team will collaborate with local police officials who have been investigating the case. The officials will examine the case papers of the two offenses registered at Dhantoli Police Station. Based on their findings, the NIA will determine whether to make an immediate arrest of Kantha or not. The investigation is expected to shed light on the full scope of the terror network and ensure that the culprits are brought to justice.
The threatening calls to Nitin Gadkari's public relations office were made by Jayesh Pujari on two separate occasions. On January 14, Pujari demanded a sum of Rs 100 crore, claiming to be a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. Subsequently, on March 21, he issued another threat, demanding Rs 10 crore and warning of harm to Gadkari if the amount was not paid. Pujari, who had connections with notorious terrorists, including Captain Naseer of Lashkar-e-Taiba's South Division, underwent weapons training in the North-Eastern parts of India.
Further investigations revealed that Pujari had met Captain Naseer and received training in bomb-making while serving time in jail. He also came into contact with other incarcerated terrorists, such as Fahad Koya, Afar Pasha, and members of the 'D' gang, including Rashid Malabari and Ganesh Shetty. These individuals provided financial support to Pujari during his imprisonment. The police received information that Pujari had contracted Shakeel to carry out the assassination of former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ishwar Appa. Shakeel, previously arrested for drug-related offenses and subsequently for kidnapping and rape, obtained bail with Pujari's assistance.
