Wanted gangster Kumar Pillai, who was arrested in Singapore earlier this year, was on Monday brought to Mumbai after the formalities of his extradition were successfully completed.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) KMM Prasanna confirmed that a Crime Branch reached Mumbai with Pillai at around 10:30 pm on Monday.
Officials said that Pillai will be held overnight in the lock-up at the Mumbai Crime Branch Headquarters in the Police Commissionerate compound in Crawford Market. It has been decided to keep his transfer from the airport to the lock up low-key to avoid attracting undue attention, the police said.
Pillai will be produced in the Esplanade Court on Tuesday morning, where the Crime Branch will seek his custody.
Pillai, who is wanted for seven to eight cases of murder, attempt to murder and extortion in Mumbai, was arrested by the police in Singapore in February this year. He was nabbed after a prolonged joint effort between Indian and Singapore law enforcement agencies, and even managed to evade apprehension twice in January before finally being caught.
After his arrest, the Singapore police contacted the Mumbai Police and the process was taken to the next stage. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch sent a set of Pillai’s fingerprints to the Singapore police which, upon comparison, officially confirmed his identity. The process of his extradition was then initiated, and after several hearings and arguments about the need for his custodial interrogation in India, his extradition was approved by a Singapore court. On Monday evening, a team of Crime Branch officials boarded a flight from Singapore to bring Pillao to India.
