According to sources here on Tuesday, the Nagpur Police have detained a guy from Belagavi, Karnataka, who last week threatened the life of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari over the phone and demanded Rs 10 crore.
A Nagpur Police squad traveled to Belagavi and arrested Jayesh Poojari, who was being held there in connection with previous offences for which he had already been found guilty.
The suspect would shortly be placed before a court for remand after being taken to Nagpur for more investigations.
Poojari March 21 had at least three times contacted Gadkari’s office near the Orange City Hospital, introduced himself, and then demanded Rs 10 crore in order to avoid damage coming to the Union Minister.
The call was identified as coming from a lady working for an event management business in Mangaluru, who was also investigated in the case.
A Nagpur Police team went and searched the Hindalga Prison in Belagavi on March 25, four days after receiving the threat calls. Poojari was there serving a life sentence after being found guilty of dacoity-cum-murder.
They found at least two mobile phones and two SIM cards that Poojari allegedly used in the prison illegally and used to threaten Gadkari.
Poojari contacted Gadkari’s office on January 14 and claimed to be an associate of the fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. He demanded payment of Rs 100 crore, which was later reduced to Rs 10 crore on March 21.