Fazlu tapes tell other side of Bollywood-Underworld story

On the receiving end of the underworld calls are managing directors of Prafful Sarees, Narayan Agarwal and Pankaj Agarwal, who have lodged an extortion complaint with the Surat police. The police have tapes of conversations that took place between the saree firm’s owners, Fazlu, Ashraf and the Shettys between March 24 and April 30, 2003. The recorded conversation is over one hour and a half. Excerpts:

THE FIRST CALL: Ashraf alias Uday Shetty calls on Narayan Agarwal’s office number on March 24, 2003.

Ashraf to Narayan Agarwal (NA): Shilpa Shetty wala matter kya hai? (What is this Shilpa Shetty matter?)

NA: Kaun bol raha hai? Kya matter? Kaun sa matter? Aap kaun bol raha hain? (Who is on the line? What matter? Which matter? Who’s speaking?)

Ashraf: Main Ashraf bol raha hoon. Tu ek kaam kar, upar bhai se baat kar le. (I am Ashraf speaking. Do one thing, talk to Bhai)

NA: Kaun sa bhai? (Which bhai?)

Ashraf: Fazlubhai Malaysia mein hain. Number likh lo. 0060166507066. (Fazlubhai is in Malaysia. Take down his number.)

The conversation ends there. But the Agarwals do not call up Fazlu. A few days later (Surat police refused to disclose the exact date), Fazlu calls up the Agarwals at their office. This time again, Narayan Agarwal picks up the phone.

Fazlu: Tumko do khokha dena padega. (You will have to pay a crore)

NA: Mere ko kisi ko koi paisa dene ka nahin hai. Mera kisi ko koi paisa dena nikalta nahin hai. (I am not supposed to pay anything to anybody. I don’t owe any money)

Fazlu: Tumko bata diya naa tumko paisa dena hi padega. Aapke poore khandan ki janam patri hai humare pass. Dekh lenge. (I am telling you, you better pay. I have the horoscope of your entire family. I am warning you)

Ashraf calls up Pankaj Agarwal the next day in office.

Ashraf: Main Ashraf bol raha hoon. (I am Ashraf speaking)

Pankaj: Main Pankaj bol raha hoon. (I am Pankaj speaking)

Ashraf: Shilpa ke do crore ka kya hua? (What happened to the two crore you owe to Shilpa?)

Pankaj: Mere ko kuchh nahin maloom hai. Narayanbhai bahar gaye hain. (I don’t know anything about it. Naryanbhai is out)

Ashraf: Narayan ko saab maloom hai. (Narayan knows everything)

Pankaj: Lekin humare ko kucch nahin dena hai. (But we don’t have to pay anything)

Ashraf: Humko apse paisa vasool karne ka advance bhi mil gaya hai. Aur humko pura pachees peti milne wala hai tum dono bhaiyon ka kam khatam karne ka. (We have even got the advance to collect the money from you. And we are going to get 25 lakhs for eliminating you and your brother)

Pankaj: Hum kaise maan le aap Shilpa ki taraf se bol rahe ho. (How do we believe that you are speaking on Shilpa’s behalf?)

Ashraf: Tum uske father Surendra Shetty se baat kar lo. Uska mobile number hai 9820152554. (You can confirm this with her (Shilpa’s) father Surendra Shetty. His mobile number is 9820152554)

Pankaj: Lekin yeh galat baat hai, humko koi paisa nahin dene ka hai. (But this isn’t right, we are not supposed to pay anything)

Ashraf: Humko nahin maloon, aur vaise bhi humara kaam hai matter patana, aur hum woh to karange. (We don’t know all that, anyway our job is to settle the matter and that we will do it)

Pankaj Agarwal calls up Surendra Shetty on March 31

Pankaj: Aap Surendra Shetty bol rahen hain? (Are you Surendra Shetty speaking?)

Surendra Shetty: Main Surendra Shetty bol raha hoon. (I am Surendra Shetty speaking)

Pankaj: Main Prafful se bol raha hoon. Ashraf aur Fazlu bahut pareshan kar rahen hain. Aap bhi businessman hain, main bhi businessman hoon. Woh log humari baat nahin samajhte. Is saab ki vajah se, mere dhande par bahut asar pad raha hai. Kaam mein bhi bahut nuksaan ho raha hai. (I am calling from Prafful. Ashraf and Fazlu are harassing us. You are a businessman and so am I. They don’t understand us. All this has affected my business. It has suffered a heavy loss)

Surendra Shetty: Paisa to aapko dena hi padega. Amount to aapko Ashraf ne bata hi diya hoga. Aur aapko koi baat karna ho to Sunanda ko phone kar lijye. Woh is matter mein sab jaanti hai. Main aapko uska number deta hoon, aap baat kar lijiye. (You will have to pay the money. Ashraf has told you the sum. If you want to talk more on this (issue) you call Sunanda. She knows everything about this matter. I will give you her number, you talk to her)

Surendra Shetty gives him the number. When this call is made, Sunanda Shetty is with Shilpa who’s shooting in Srinagar. Pankaj calls up Srinagar and speaks to Sunanda

Pankaj: Main Prafful mein se bol raha hoon. Humko aapko to kucch dena nahin hai. Agar aur kucch hai to aap aur main aapas mein settle kar lenge. Yeh log phone kar ke humko bahut tang karte hain. (I am calling from Prafful. We don’t have to pay you anything. If there is anything else, we can settle it. These people call us on the phone and harass us)

Sunanda: Paise to aapko dene hi padenge. Aap ek baar paise de dijiye, phone aane apne aap bandh ho jayenge. Hum logon ho yahan time lagega to aap Surendra se Mumbai mein mil kar settle kar lijiye. (You will have to pay the money. Once you pay, the phone calls will stop. Since we will take some time here, you meet Surendra in Mumbai and settle the issue)

Fazl-ur-Rehman calls up Pankaj Agarwal once again on April 30

Fazlu: Fazlu bol raha hoon. Paise ka aapne kya socha?. (Fazlu speaking. What have you thought about the money?)

Pankaj: Yeh rakam to bahut zyada hai. Aap thoda kum kar dijiye. (This amount is too high. You reduce it a bit)

Fazalu: B****** Surat ke market mein apka itna naam hai, yeh rakam aapke liye koi badi baat nahin hain. (You are a big name in Surat market, this amount is not too big for you)

Pankaj: Magar apko paise dene ke baad mere paas aur kisi bhai ka phone aya to kya karenge. (What happens if some other bhai call up after I pay you?)

Fazlu: Saale, agar kisi bhai ka phone aye ko mere ko batana. Main usse samajh loonga. (In case some bhai calls up, you let me know and I will take care of it)