The Surat police may question actress Shilpa Shetty in connection with the 2003 extortion case involving underworld don Fazal-ur-Rehman Abdul Basit alias Fazlu.

This follows Fazlu’s claimed during the interrogation that it was only after Shilpa Shetty confirmed to him that she wanted his help that he started making threatening calls to Surat-based textile mill owner Pankaj Agarwal.

The Surat police, which on November 5, 2003 charge-sheeted eight persons, including Shilpa’s parents Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, now say they will investigate the case further and soon take Fazlu into their custody. “We have submitted a transfer warrant in a Delhi court seeking Fazlu’s custody and will soon be bringing him here for questioning. And if needed, we will call Shilpa Shetty for questioning,” said Surat police Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Subhash Trivedi.

Fazlu, who is involved in 25 cases of attempt to murder, kidnapping and extortion, was arrested by a team of the Delhi Police Special Cell on August 7 last year from the outskirts of Gorakhpur near the Indo-Nepal border. Fazlu is presently lodged at Tihar jail.

The Intelligence Bureau and also Delhi Police’s Special Cell interrogated Fazlu. Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Special Cell, Ajay Kumar, said, “He has said that he was first approached by Shilpa’s driver Dilip and (it was) after he spoke to her that he started making the phone calls and also deputed his henchman Udai Shetty to threaten and extort money from the businessman.” Udai Shetty alias Ashraf is Fazlu’s close aide.

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