Obaid Radiowala, the alleged aide of gangster Ravi Pujari, was once again remanded in police custody for a day, after the police sought that he be tried under the Mahatashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Radiowala, who was arrested in the United States in 2017, was deported and brought to Mumbai on Tuesday. He was subsequently produced in the Esplanade Court on Wednesday afternoon, and remanded in police custody for a day.
The Crime Branch had earlier produced Radiowala in a special MCOCA court on Wednesday, which ruled that he be produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate’s court as the MCOCA charges in the case against him had already been dropped.
On Thursday, Radiowala was produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate’s court, where the prosecution argued that it was necessary to try him under the MCOCA once again.
“The Metropolitan Magistrate’s court subsequently remanded Radiowala to the police custody for a day. He will be produced before the special MCOCA court on Friday,” advocate Nazneen Khatri, who is representing Radiowala, said.
Radiowala will again spend the night in the Property Cell lock-up. The Property Cell, in a joint operation with the Anti Motor Vehicle Theft squad, had arrested 13 accused in connection with an alleged plot to murder a Mumbai-based filmmaker in 2014. While the MCOCA was invoked against them at the time, it was dropped at trial stage, and they were convicted under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
