Former don and legislator from Chinchpokli Arun Gawli and his three associates were Saturday booked under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act for their alleged complicity in extorting money from a hotelier to settle a business dispute.
Police had Friday obtained sanction under MCOCA from a competent authority to book Gawli and others in the extortion case. Earlier, they were booked under IPC provisions by Agripada police station, police said.
Accordingly, Panchal and Sadhvilkar, associates of Gawli, were produced before MCOCA court of Judge Abhay Thipsay who remanded them to police custody till April 29.
Co-accused Sunil Ghate, who is in judicial custody, would be produced before MCOCA court on April 17 while police are eagerly waiting for a sessions court's verdict on Gawli's anticipatory bail plea. If the bail is rejected Gawli would be arrested, police said.
According to police, one Shakeel Qureshi and his business partner Rajendra Doshi had a business dispute in which Gawli mediated and demanded ransom of Rs 18 lakhs. A case of extortion was registered against Gawli.
Gawli obtained anticipatory bail in the same case in December 2005 after the complainant and city-based businessman Shakeel Qureshi said he wanted to withdraw the charges.
Meanwhile, Qureshi moved high court seeking permission to withdraw the complaint as he had lodged the same under pressure from police.
The high court ordered a sessions court to hear Gawli's plea for anticipatory bail afresh. The matter is expected to come up for hearing on April 17.