Thane CDR scam: Crime Branch makes 14th arrest

One more person was arrested by Thane Police's Crime Branch in connection with the Call Detail Record (CDR) racket that it is investigating, taking the number of persons arrested to 14, officials said today.

Senior Inspector Nitin Thakre told PTI that Laxman Thakur, whose name cropped during the interrogation of some of the arrested accused, was nabbed yesterday evening.

The official said that Thakur was produced before a magistrate who remanded him in police custody till May 14.

The CDR racket was unearthed on January 24 when police, acting on a tip off, nabbed four private detectives from Kalwa here.

Since then, police said, 14 persons have been arrested in the scam which involved the illegal procurement and sale of CDRs of private individuals.

Among those arrested were woman detective Rajani Pandit and noted lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui.

Pandit, who was arrested on February 2, was granted bail by Additional Sessions Judge A S Bhaisare on March 13.

Siddiqui was arrested on March 16 and was released on March 21 after a bench of Justices S C Dharamadhikari and P D Naik of the Bombay High Court held that the Thane police had acted in a "high-handed" manner and had failed to follow "due process of law" while arresting the lawyer.