Mumbai: Kumar Mangat Pathak, secretary of actor-producer Ajay Devgan and witness in a case of alleged Bollywood nexus with the underworld, on November 22 turned hostile in a special court by denying that Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel had talked to him on telephone about putting off the release of Devgan's film "Raju Chacha".

The witness told designated judge A P Bhangale that Shakeel had not talked to him and no such request was made to him.

Earlier, in a statement to police, Pathak had said that Shakeel had telephoned to warn Ajay Devgan against releasing his film at the same time when his own (Shakeel's) film "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" was being released. Pathak had refused to cooperate and was warned by Shakeel to toe the line or face consequences.

In the court, Pathak contradicted his statement saying that Shakeel had not talked to him on telephone. He, however, admitted that the telephone number (figuring in a recorded telephonic talk between producer Nasim Rizvi and Shakeel) was his own.

Pathak is the eighth witness in this case to turn hostile. Other witnesses who have not supported the prosecution are director Annes Bazme, producer Sanjay Gupta, director Mahesh Manjrekar, owner of Venus music company Ratan Jain, financier Harish Sughand, businessmen Aftab Patel and Mohammed Ali Morani.

To a question that Ajay Devgan had wept while pleading with Shakeel on telephone to allow him release his film "Raju Chacha", Pathak feigned ignorance.

PTI