Chhota Rajan gangster DK Rao and six accomplices arrested in ₹2.5 crore extortion case

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) has arrested notorious gangster D K Rao, also known as Ravi Mallesh Bora, a close aide of Chhota Rajan, along with six of his associates, for allegedly threatening a 74-year-old hotelier from Marol Naka, Andheri East

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) has arrested notorious gangster D K Rao, also known as Ravi Mallesh Bora, a close aide of Chhota Rajan, along with six of his associates, for allegedly threatening a 74-year-old hotelier from Marol Naka, Andheri East. The group is accused of demanding a settlement over a property dispute and attempting to extort ₹2.5 crore from the complainant.

Chhota Rajan gangster DK Rao and six accomplices arrested in ₹2.5 crore extortion case

The arrested individuals include Abu Bakr Abdulla Siddique, 37, of Grant Road; Imran Shaikh, 31, Riyaz Shaikh, 41, and Asif Khan, 36, all residents of Kurla; as well as Javed Khan, 35, and Hanif Naik, 53, both from Marol, Andheri East.

According to the police, the complainant, a hotelier residing on Marol Military Road, Andheri East, owns a 2,500-square-foot plot in Chimatpada, Marol Naka. He purchased the land in 1972 and established a fabrication and air-conditioning business called Empire Engineering Company.

In 2016, he partnered with Abdulla Hassan Abu to develop the land into a restaurant. The venture, named Empire Hotel, began operations in 2019. However, disputes over the property soon arose, with the complainant alleging that Abdulla created fake documents in his wife’s name and filed a civil suit using them. Abdulla eventually handed over control of the restaurant to Imran Shaikh, who allegedly barred the complainant and his associate from entering the premises and issued threats.

The situation escalated on September 27, 2024, when the complainant and his associate were summoned to a luxury hotel in Vile Parle. There, D K Rao allegedly threatened them, demanding they resolve the Empire Hotel dispute on his terms and pay ₹2.5 crore. The complainant was also reportedly issued death threats.

“The accused had taken the hotel on rent and then captured it using forged documents. Rao was brought in to intimidate the complainant, and it appears he was paid for his involvement,” said a Crime Branch official. Rao, who has 41 cases registered against him, is a known figure in Mumbai’s underworld.

Following an investigation, the AEC arrested Rao and his associates. The Crime Branch presented them before a magistrate, who remanded Rao to police custody until January 30. “This case highlights the use of criminal intimidation and forged documents to take control of valuable property. We are investigating further to uncover the extent of the conspiracy and the roles of all individuals involved,” added the official.