He wanted to avenge his arrest, which took place nine years ago, and send the police on a wild goose chase.
So, Rohit Gaikwad (31) allegedly made a crank call to the Mumbai police’s control room on Thursday, threatening to kidnap the daughter of Minister of State for Home Nitin Raut.
Gaikwad sent the police into a tizzy as the matter concerned their immediate boss. Working overtime, Crime Branch sleuths arrested Gaikwad on Monday.
Gaikwad, a Nerul resident, worked as a public relations officer for a hospital in Chembur.
Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Rakesh Maria said their probe revealed the call made from a cellphone registered in the name of a former Railway Protection Force employee, Damodar Shivrale (60).
Soon after making the call, the phone was switched off.
During questioning Shivrale, he told them his nephew (Gaikwad) was using the phone and that he had lost it.
The police also learnt the phone was lost a day after the threat call was made.
“Gaikwad said that in 2000, he had been arrested in an extortion case and wanted to get even with the police for the same,” said Maria.
As for threatening to abduct the minister’s pilot daughter, Maria said Gaikwad knew the Rauts and had visited them in Pune a few years ago where he was being trained to become a bikhshu (Buddhist ascetic who lives on alms). “He visited Raut’s house at the time. He zeroed in on Raut’s daughter as his target,” said Maria.
{{/usCountry}}As for threatening to abduct the minister’s pilot daughter, Maria said Gaikwad knew the Rauts and had visited them in Pune a few years ago where he was being trained to become a bikhshu (Buddhist ascetic who lives on alms). “He visited Raut’s house at the time. He zeroed in on Raut’s daughter as his target,” said Maria.
{{/usCountry}}The Crime Branch has handed over the case to the Marine Drive police station for further investigation.