The state has lodged a complaint against the two journalists, Nandkumar Vengurlekar of Mumbai Sandhya and S Wankhede of Vishwamitra, at Cuffe Parade police station, and Cultural Affairs Minister Pramod Navalkar, who also holds the Information and Public Relations portfolio, has ordered withdrawal of accreditation cards issued to the two scribes. Navalkar has also asked zonal deputy commissioner of police K L Bishnoi to investigate if the two scribes have any links with Gawli. The non-cognisable offence was registered under Section 426 of Indian Penal Code (mischief) after Anand Limaye, head of the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), wrote topolice.

On November 18, Vengurlekar and Wankhede distributed invitation cards of Gawli's press meet in the Mantralaya press room. The press conference was to be held at Hotel Ritz on November 19, 1998, and was arranged by Star Net Publicity, a firm said to be operated by the journalist duo. After distributing the cards in the press room, the two used the fax machine installed in one of the DGIPR officer's cabins to reach leading city dailies. The next day, the press conference was addressed by Gawli's wife Asha and some office-bearers of Akhil Bharatiya Sena, Gawli's political outfit.

Asked why a cognisable offence wasn't registered against the two, a police officer attached to Cuffe Parade police station said the NC was registered after consulting the public prosecutor and police commissioner R H Mendonca. Sudhakar Torne, director (news and information) of DGIPR, has issued a memo to Dada Shinde, assistant director of DGIPR, for negligence of duty. The fax machine from where the press releases were sentis in Shinde's cabin.