Court refuses to extend police custody of gangster Kumar Pillai

A special MCOCA court on Thursday refused to extend the police custody of gangster Kumar Pillai in an extortion case registered by a builder in 2009, saying it found

A special MCOCA court on Thursday refused to extend the police custody of gangster Kumar Pillai in an extortion case registered by a builder in 2009, saying it found no convincing grounds for doing so.

Pillai has been arrested for extortion. (HT File Photo)

Read: Police probe Pillai’s weapons racket

Chief public prosecutor Lata Chheda on Thursday sought further custody of Pillai stating that the agency still has to gather evidence and information on his financial transactions and sources of arms and ammunitions. Chheda argued that he was running a syndicate and has many extortion cases registered against him.

Pillai’s lawyer, advocate Pankaj Kavale, objected, stating no progress had been made in the investigation and the ground on which the extension was sought was the same as was pleaded earlier.

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“The crime branch promptly moved an application seeking his custody in a 2013 case, where he allegedly made calls to the brother of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MLA Mangesh Sangle,” Kavle said.

As per the prosecution case, Pillai in 2013, through his aide demanded 75 lakhs from Sangle’s brother Arvind.