Phones, sims used by Pujari to threaten Union minister Nitin Gadkari traced from jail in Belagavi

NAGPUR: City police have unearthed two mobile phones, a couple of sim cards and batteries from the andha cell of Jayesh Pujari alias Jayesh Kantha who used them from a jail in Belagavi in Karnataka to issue threats to Union minister Nitin Gadkari on March 21 CP Amitesh Kumar is also set to write to the government for appointment of a special public prosecution for trial in the case.
The Karnataka police and prison authorities had twice searched the same place but claimed to have found nothing before Nagpur cops’ efforts yielded the electronic devices concealed in the solitary Anda cell, where Pujari, who is serving life imprisionment, is lodged.
Within 36 days, Pujari had twice called up the Union minister’s office at Khamla Square demanding money whiel threatening of dire consequences. On January 14, Pujari, posing as a member of the Dawood Ibrahim’s gang, demanded `100 crore. On March 21, he asked Rs 10 crore. Jail authorities and the police failed to trace the mobile phone or the sim after the January call with Pujari claiming to have flushed it down the toilet. CP Kumar had alerted Belagavi jail authorities and Karnataka police after the cyber squad found about Pujari’s involvement and location from where he was making the calls.
“The mobile phones used to make three calls on March 21 along with the sims have been found from the cell where Pujari is lodged. The sim used for making the call on January 14 too has been found. The second mobile phone was used in another offence,” said the top cop. Kumar, former chief of Maharashtra’s intelligence department, guided the Nagpur team which searched Pujari’s Anda cell.
“The accused made a few small slots where the wall meets the floor to keep the basic model handsets, batteries and sims. He covered them with his mattress,” said the CP. He said the city police are trying to procure the custody of Pujari. “Now, we want to interrogate him in our custody,” he said. Pujari had asked for the extortion money to be transferred to a mobile number of a woman, but she has nothing to do with the case as of now, cops said.