Salim Sheikh, the driver-cum-bodyguard of Haseena Parkar, sister of underworld kingpin Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested by the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) on Thursday on charges of cheating and making extortion demands to real estate broker Vinod Avlani.
He was produced in a metropolitan magistrate’s court where he was remanded in police custody till June 7.
The police said Sheikh, who had gone underground along with Haseena ever since he figured in the case last month, was arrested from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.
The AEC said Sheikh was present with other accused in the case, including Haseena, at several meetings that allegedly took place at Haseena’s residence when the deal for developing a slum cluster in Wadala under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority scheme was discussed last year.
“He was privy to her complicity in the present extortion case,” an AEC official said. Sheikh has been a close confidante of Haseena ever since her husband Ibrahim Parkar was killed in gangland warfare 15 years ago.