Extortion calls to Gadkari: Statements of 6 persons contacted by accused recorded

The statements of six persons who were contacted by the man accused of making extortion calls to the office of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur in Maharashtra a couple of weeks ago have been recorded as part of the probe, a police official said on Sunday. Jayesh Pujari, a murder convict lodged in a jail in Belagavi in Karnataka, was held for allegedly making three calls to the public relations office of Gadkari in Khamla here on January 14 and demanding Rs 100 crore. He had denied making the calls.

"Six persons were identified on the basis of the call detail record of the phone allegedly used by Pujari from jail. Before and after contacting Gadkari's office, the accused had spoken to these persons. Their statements were recorded under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure," he said.