Mumbai: Well known director Mahesh Manjrekar on October 25 admitted before a special court that he, actor Sanjay Dutt, film maker Sanjay Gupta and financier Harish Sughand, had talked to someone on telephone from a hotel in Nasik but was not aware who was the person on the other side.

Earlier, he had told police that they talked to Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel on telephone from Taj Hotel in Nasik during their visit to Shirdi on November 14, 2000.

"I do not remember whom we had talked to but all of us had joined the conversation," Manjrekar told prosecutor Rohini Salian.

Manjrekar said two years ago he was called to crime branch office in regard to this conversation, which had been recorded by police.

When the audiocassette was played in front of him in the court, Manjrekar said he did not remember whether it was the same conversation.

In the telephonic talk, Manjrekar allegedly told Shakeel that he wanted to make a film on his life and urged to give sequences. Shakeel praised his art of film making and promised to give him information about his life and career.

Manjrekar also urged Shakeel to tell him about his planned operation in Bangkok wherein a rival gangster was attacked by his men but escaped from a hospital after allegedly bribing the police.

The examination-in-chief did not conclude on October 25 and would continue on October 28.

PTI