In a bizarre development the Kolkata Police on Tuesday claimed to have recovered instruments from a hotel from where extortion calls were made to former Union Minister DP Yadav.
A senior officer said, “Police after receiving specific information from a hotel in Muchipara in North Kolkata from where extortion calls were made to Devendra Yadav a former MP. When we rushed our forces to the place we found the stated hotel room from where the calls were made locked. We waited for quite some time but when no one turned up we opened the room after following necessary legal procedures.
“From the room we recovered a laptop, a mobile phone and a bag,” said the officer, adding the MP concerned had confirmed that he had indeed received threat calls.
“The extorters allegedly asked the ex-MP to pay Rs 5 crores failing which some of his video footages would be leaked,” the officer said adding the mobile phone was registered in the name of one Vikram Singh.
Sources in police also claimed the lap top contained photograph of a senior journalist who had allegedly blown the whistle in the Narada bribery scam that saw a host of Bengal Ministers, MPs and MlAs receiving cash-for-favour from a journalist who posed as a prospective investor in the State.
Tuesday’s incident looked curious against the backdrop of previous efforts by the Bengal police to act against Narada CEO Mathew Samuels until he sought court orders against further harassment.
The incident also seemed interesting on account of the fact that the man who was making extortion calls could not be arrested and no police complaint was lodged by the former MP who received the calls.
While the Kolkata Police refused to share further details a senior official said “investigations are on” and culprits would soon be apprehended.