Congress claims MLAs getting threats from gangster

Shankersinh Vaghela, the opposition leader in the Gujarat assembly, on Tuesday claimed that four Congress MLAs and party leader Gurudas Kamat were getting extortion and threatening calls from a gangster in the last two months.

Vaghela, who raised this in the state assembly, told reporters that several Congress legislators, including senior leader Shaktisinh Gohil, C.K. Raulji, Amit Chawda and Meraman Ahir were receving threats from notorious gangster Ravi Pujari.

Showing the text of message he received, Raulji claimed he had been asked to cough up Rs 10 crore or face the consequences. Anand councillor Pragnesh Patel was apparently shot by members of the Ravi Pujari gang.

Ravi Pujari, who is believed to be living abroad, has over 50 cases of extortion filed against him nation-wide.

Vaghela said that a couple of months ago, the Gujarat party incharge Gurudas Kamat received a call from Ravi Pujari in Mumbai.

"Kamatji spoke to the Police Commissioner there and requested him to look into the issue.

"Similarly, three days back, Shaktisinh Gohil told me that he too had received a threat call but did not discuss it... Now Raulji has received such a call.

"There must be a probe into this as to who are these men issuing threats to legislators elected by the people," he added.

Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja told the assembly that the police were looking into the allegations made by Congress leaders.

He said the phone calls appear to have been made using VoIP routed through servers in Switzerland, Africa, Morocco and London.

The state would involve central agencies to find out the truth, he said.

Jadeja claimed that the investigation agencies had found no involvement of the Pujari gang in this.

--IANS

desai/mr