The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed an appeal in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court seeking the transfer of the judicial record of the Rs 100 crore extortion and death threat case against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to Mumbai. The court on Friday issued a notice to the state government and the main accused, Jayesh Pujari and directed them to submit their reply by August 30. The appeal was heard before Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki Menezes.
In this case, Dhantoli police have registered two FIRs under sections 385, 387, 506(2) and 507 of IPC. A case has been filed in the Special Sessions Court of NIA Act in Nagpur under the first offence. Meanwhile, the Union Home Department issued an order on July 12, 2023, directing the NIA to investigate the first crime. Therefore, the NIA filed an amended case under Sections 385, 387, 506(2) and 507 of the IPC and Sections 10, 13, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at the NIA Police Station in Mumbai on July 13. Also, on July 14, a case was filed in Mumbai’s Special Sessions Court of the NIA Act. Subsequently, the NIA filed an application in the Special Sessions Court in Nagpur on July 15 and demanded that the judicial record of the case be transferred to the Special Sessions Court in Mumbai. Also, Dhantoli asked for police records.
On July 18, a special sessions court in Nagpur rejected a request to transfer judicial records to Mumbai. Against this, NIA has approached the High Court. NIA has requested the High Court to quash this decision and direct the transfer of the judicial record of the case to Mumbai.