"(Narayan) Rane did call me. He requested me to look into the matter and if possible release Nitesh. I asked him to approach the court," Parrikar said, talking to reporters here.
Rane senior's reaction was "very positive" and he did not express anger or reacted with arrogance after his request was turned down, Parrikar added.
Nitesh, who leads Swabhiman Sanghatana, a Mumbai-based outfit, was arrested alongwith eight others last night over the incident.
"The incident took place not because he (Nitesh) had no money to pay (the toll). Five hundred rupees is nothing to him. But this was an attempt to show the authority," Parrikar quipped.