A special court on Friday convicted two accused for issuing extortion and terror threats to Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari from inside a Karnataka prison. The court sentenced notorious criminal Jayesh Pujari alias Kantha and terror accused Afsar Pasha under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The judgment was delivered by the court of Additional Sessions Judge Anil Kumar K Sharma in Special UAPA Case Nos. 480/2023 and 482/2023. According to the prosecution, the first threat call was received at Gadkari’s public relations office in Nagpur under the limits of Dhantoli police station on January 14, 2023. The accused made threatening calls to Gadkari’s public relations office from Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi. They allegedly demanded ransom amounts of Rs 100 crore and Rs 10 crore while threatening to kill the Union Minister and carry out bomb blasts if the money was not paid. Investigators said the threats were not mere acts of intimidation but part of a larger criminal conspiracy with alleged terror links.

 

During the probe, police seized SIM cards and electronic evidence from the accused. Messages mentioning “Taliban Zindabad,” “TTP,” and other extremist references were reportedly recovered during forensic examination of mobile devices. The investigation further revealed alleged links of the accused with banned organisations including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the D-Gang. Technical evidence, including call detail records, bank transactions, witness statements and prison records which played a crucial role in establishing the prosecution’s case. The background of accused Afsar Pasha added serious weight to the case. Investigating agencies had earlier linked him to extremist activities and alleged connections with Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives. Pasha was also accused of training individuals involved in the Mangaluru cooker bomb blast case.

 

Officials claimed he had received bomb-making training in Bangladesh and was allegedly radicalising inmates inside prison along with Jayesh Pujari. Police investigations had also pointed toward suspicious financial transactions, including alleged funding routed through persons linked to banned organisations. The prosecution claimed smartphones and communication facilities were being illegally used inside prison premises to coordinate activities. The court convicted the accused under Sections 385, 387, 506(2), and 507 read with Section 34 of the IPC, along with Sections 10, 13(1), and 18 of the UAPA. The sentences range from two to five years of rigorous imprisonment with fines under each section. All sentences will run concurrently. However, both accused were acquitted of charges under Section 20 of the UAPA. A third accused, Mohammed Shakir, remains absconding and a charge sheet against him was filed under Section 299 of the CrPC. Officials said the trial was completed in just 55 days, during which 67 witnesses were examined across both cases. The investigation was led by officers of Dhantoli Police Station and the Anti-Terrorism Squad, with ACP Crime Dr Abhijit Patil filing the charge sheet. The prosecution was conducted by Public Prosecutors Adv Vedika Patil and Adv L B Shendre.