Nagpur: A bureaucratic blunder by officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has resulted in a delay in the transfer of a significant Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case registered in Nagpur.
The case is related to threatening phone calls made to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. In an attempt to transfer the UAPA offence, initially registered at the Dhantoli police station, the NIA filed applications before the Special NIA courts in Bengaluru and later in Nagpur. However, both courts rejected the applications and directed the NIA to file the request before the Supreme Court, according to a senior police official.
Today’s Rate
Tuesday 12 Nov. 2024
However, the NIA is yet to file the application in the Apex Court, leaving the UAPA case in the hands of Nagpur police. Seeking more time, the city police recently requested an additional 50 days before the Special NIA court at Nagpur to file the chargesheet. The prime accused in the case involving the threatening phone calls, identified as Jayesh Pujari alias Kantha, was apprehended by the Nagpur police from a jail in Belagavi, Karnataka. Following the case registered at the Dhantoli police station, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification instructing the NIA to investigate the matter.
The offence was initially registered in Bengaluru, and the Mumbai Unit of the NIA has been assigned to handle the investigation. It was expected that the NIA would assume responsibility for the UAPA case registered at the Dhantoli police station. In late May, a special investigation team led by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) was stationed in Nagpur to pursue the case. However, due to delays in the procedural documentation, further progress in the investigation has been hindered.
On January 14, Pujari made a threatening call to Nitin Gadkari’s public relations office, demanding a sum of Rs 100 crore and claiming affiliation with the Dawood Ibrahim gang. Pujari followed up with another call on March 21, threatening harm to Gadkari unless a payment of Rs 10 crore was made. Pujari was subsequently brought to Nagpur on March 28 from a jail in Belagavi, Karnataka, and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
During Pujari’s interrogation, it was revealed that he had encountered Naseer in jail and received training in bomb making. He also established contact with other terrorists behind bars, including Fahad Koya, Afsar Pasha, as well as members of the ‘D’ Gang, such as Rashid Malabari and Ganesh Shetty. These individuals allegedly provided financial support to Pujari while in jail.
