Take 2 in Preeti, Bhandarkar script is contract to murder him

The arrest came after eight hours of interrogation at the Agripada police station — a three-member team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Mansi Mohite questioned Jain and Pardesi in separate rooms.

‘‘The arrest happened only after we found that she was involved in the conspiracy to kill,’’ said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Arup Patnaik. ‘‘There’s evidence to confirm that money has been exchanged,’’ he said.

According to police sources, Jain told the police that she, along with her father, had met Arun Gawli two months ago. Gawli, say sources, confirmed the meeting to the police and will be called in for interrogation.

Gawli, however, told mediapersons that he was not part of the conspiracy. ‘‘We do not need to take supari. I am a member of the Vidhan

Sabha, not a goon. I have not seen any woman named Preeti Jain.’’

Gawli said it was he who tipped the police. He said on September 3, the president of his party Akhil Bharatiya Sena (Maharashtra) Mahendra Bhagve wrote to the police about the conspiracy.

Bhagve, on behalf of Gawli, wrote to Home Minister R R Patil and Police Commissioner A N Roy saying that Gawli was in not involved in the contract as suspected.

The letter stated: ‘‘On September 2, a lady who identified herself as Preeti Jain came to Dagdi Chawl (Gawli’s residence) looking for a person named Naresh Prakash Pardeshi. When the office chief Anil Tawde questioned her, she said that Pardeshi had taken Rs 75,000 from her as supari to kill film director Madhur Bhandarkar. She said she came looking for Pardeshi as he had switched off his cellphone.’’

Gawli said the incident was brought to his notice and he immediately got his party chief to write a letter. ‘‘There are many persons who might have worked with me in different capacities, I would not keep a track of everyone. Pardeshi might have been with us but is no longer a part of my party,’’ he said. He said he wrote to the police to prevent her from doing anything dangerous.

Police say the letter was nothing but a panic reaction from Gawli.

‘‘He knew that the police was closing in on this case, so he fired a letter on September 3 to pre-empt any action. Our investigations had begun much earlier,’’ a senior police officer said. He said the inquiries started after Bhandarkar complained about a threatening call in July.