New Delhi: A Delhi-based businessman, from
whom extradited gangster Abu Salem had allegedly demanded Rs
five crore as protection money, was today cross-examined in
a court here and he rejected the defence claim that his
complaint was false and motivated.
"It is wrong to suggest that I have given a false
complaint with the Special Cell of Delhi police. It is also
wrong to suggest that I did it at the behest of police," Rajat
Nagrath, the complainant, testified before Chief Metropolitan
Magistrate Kaveri Baweja.
He, in his cross-examination by counsel for Salem, also
said "it is wrong to suggest that I did not receive any call
from one Thakur who said that later Salem would call you."
However, on some occasions Nagrath faltered and did not
support his alleged complaint registered with police in 2002.
"It is correct that I never confirmed as to whether the
name of the caller was Salem. It is also correct that the
caller did not disclose his name as Abu Salem," Nagrath said
while replying to a query posed by Sudeep Pasbola and Arvind
Shukla, counsel for the accused.
The complainant also failed to justify the delay in
giving the tape of the alleged conversation between him and
the accused to police.
The court has fixed the case for tomorrow for recording
testimony of other witnesses as the counsel for
other accused, Sadiq, Isthiyaq and C P Rai, said he did not
want to examine Nagrath.
Earlier, the court had heard the purported phone call
records between Salem and Nagrath.
An FIR was lodged on the complaint of Nagrath that Salem,
in active connivance of other accused, had made threat calls
to him for demanding Rs 5 crore as protection money.
In another extortion case, registered under stringent
MCOCA, Additional Sessions Judge Pinki of Patiala House Courts
here today said she would tomorrow pronounce the order on
framing of charges against Salem.
Salem, extradited from Portugal in 2005, was booked under
MCOCA and other provisions of IPC for allegedly making
extortion calls to Delhi-based businessman Ashok Gupta
demanding Rs five crore as protection money.
PTI
