Mumbai: Lakdawala, 2 aides held in Rs 7.5 crore extortion case

Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala and his aides Tarik Parveen and Salim Maharaj alias Salim Penwala have been arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch's Anti Extortion Cell in a fresh Rs 7.5 crore extortion case, a senior official said on Monday.

The three are already in custody for other cases, and the fresh FIR is based on the complaint of a real estate developer at Pydhonie police station, the official said.

The complaint stated that the developer faced losses of Rs 7.5 crore due to calls made by Lakdawala asking him to pay money to different people or to give property at cheap rates, police said.

The complainant told police Parveen approached him on the day he started getting calls from Lakdawala, while a probe found it was Penwala who was supplying information about the developer to the gangster.

"We have arrested the three in a fresh case under section 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion) and 34 (common intention). It was filed at Pydhonie police station," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Santosh Rastogi told PTI.

Lakdawala was held by Mumbai police on January 9 from Patna in Bihar, while Parveen and Penwala were held on the basis of his interrogation.