MCOCA invoked against Vikhroli gang of nine for threatening residents

Nine accused involved in over 15 cases of robbery, extortion and body offences in Mumbai's Vikhroli area have been charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. Seven of the accused were arrested and remanded in police custody until May 25. The charges include attempt to murder, confinement, assault and rioting. The remaining two accused are still being sought.

Mumbai: The city police has invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against nine accused who were booked under the charges of attempt to murder, confinement, rioting and conspiracy last month. Seven out of nine accused were arrested on Sunday and were produced in the court and remanded to police custody till May 25.

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All nine are on the list of the top 20 accused in the Vikhroli area and each one of them has been involved in more than 15 cases of robbery, extortion and body offences, said a police official.

The arrested accused were identified as Shailesh Haribhau Gaikwad, Rahul Vinayak Bhalshankar, Aniket Pappu Kamble, Akshay Arun Baeet, Santosh alias Kalva Kapil Dev Vishvakarma, Tushar Vishwas Nirmal. The two wanted accused are known as Sandesh Mane, Vaibhav Padwal.

According to the Park Site police officials, the complainant, Ganesh Gupta, 32, who lives in Varsha Nagar, Park Site in Vikhroli East along with his family. Gupta is a civil contractor and also undertakes contracts for renovating houses of one-plus-one structures in the Parksite chawl. The incident occurred on April 19, around 11pm when Gupta was at his home. Accused Tushar Nirmale entered Gupta’s house to ask him to come outside while the other accused waited at the gate.

“The prime accused Shailesh Gaikwad demanded money and threatened to kill him if he did not pay up. The victim denied that he did not have money so one of the accused took out a sword and attacked him. Other accused also started kicking and punching him. His sister and father tried to intervene, but the accused assaulted them as well. Neighbours did not dare help as Gaikwad threatened them by brandishing the sword. People closed their doors out to fear,” said senior inspector Vinayak Mer.

Gaikwad had been demanding money from the victim for two months. They accused extort money from local shopkeepers and hoteliers in the area; most of the people could not gather the courage to file complaints, said Mer.

The victim sustained severe injuries and based on his statement an FIR was registered under the charges of attempt to murder, confinement, assault and rioting against the nine accused based on which the arrests were done.

After looking at their previous criminal records and terror in the area we approached the additional commissioner and MCOC Act was invoked against the accused and took them into custody, said Mer. Some of the accused had been externed but they are hardcore criminals and once they return after getting bail they again commit the crime. So MCOCA was the only option to prevent it, added Mer.

“Each accused has more than 15 cases related to offences, robbery, extortion, house break-in and creating nuisance in the vicinity. They have spread terror in the society,” said Mer.