Mumbai cops book Chhota Shakeel's aide for threatening witness from jail

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The Mumbai police have registered an FIR against fugitive gangster Chhota Shakeel's alleged associate Riyaz Bhati on charges of threatening a witness from jail in an extortion case registered against him, an official said on Monday.

Bhati is lodged at a jail in Mumbai in the extortion case in which Shakeel's brother-in-law Salim Fruit and five others are also accused.

The Mumbai police had invoked provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case and all the accused are currently in judicial custody.

As per the latest FIR registered against Bhati by Khar police here last week, a 43-year-old businessman alleged that a man named Rajesh Bajaj, whom he knew for the last 10 years, threatened him to give a statement in a court in favour of Bhati in a case lodged at Versova police station against him.

Bajaj had also taken the businessman near Versova police station where Bhati met him and allegedly threatened him to give a statement in his favour, the official said.

In 2021, a friend of the businessman filed a case against Bhati at Versova police station.

As per the complaint, Bhati had introduced his wife to the businessman's associate, claiming she was his friend.

Bhati also allegedly threatened his wife and forced her into a sexual relationship with the businessman and his friend after luring her with money, the FIR mentioned.

Later, Bhati allegedly extorted money from the businessman and his friend over their sexual relations with his wife, it said.

In August this year, Bajaj threatened the businessman not to mess with the Chhota Shakeel gang.

On November 4, when the businessman was to appear before a court in the case registered with the Versova police, he received a call from Bhati, who told him to ask others (witnesses) not to give a complaint against him, the FIR stated.

The businessman was shocked as he was aware that Bhati was behind bars. He then asked his friend to record the conversation and put the call on speaker mode.

After recording the conversation, the businessman approached the Khar police and lodged a complaint against Bhati, his son and Bajaj, the official said.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against Bhati and others under Indian Penal Code sections 195A (threatening a person to give false statement), 506-2 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention), he said.

A probe is on into the case, the police added.