New Delhi, Aug. 24 -- The man accused of assaulting Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta during her weekly public hearing on Wednesday had allegedly informed a friend in Gujarat of his plan, investigators said, adding that he revealed that the friend even transferred him Rs.2,000 online before the incident. The accused, identified as 39-year-old auto driver Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai Sakriya, was arrested from the spot immediately after the assault and remanded to five days' police custody by a Delhi court. A police team was dispatched to Rajkot on Thursday to trace his local contacts. Reaching around midnight, officers questioned four to five people he had spoken with recently, including the friend who admitted knowledge of Sakriya's intentions. "The friend was interrogated and served a notice to join the investigation. He was flown to Delhi on Friday for further questioning," said an officer. Investigators have been trying to piece together Sakriya's motives. Initially, he claimed he attacked the chief minister to seek justice for a jailed relative. Later, he gave a different explanation, citing the Supreme Court's recent order on street dogs. According to officers, Sakriya told them he cares for 150-200 dogs in Rajkot and felt distraught over what he perceived as mistreatment of animals in Delhi. Police have seized his mobile phone and scrutinised his call logs, browsing history, and financial transactions. The Delhi Police are now considering whether to invoke charges of criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the friend, depending on the outcome of the interrogation. The probe has also reconstructed Sakriya's movements in the days leading up to the attack. On August 17, he travelled to Ujjain before deciding to head to Delhi....