Mumbai police arrests close aide of gangster Chhota Shakeel

The anti-extortion cell of the Mumbai police crime branch has arrested an accomplice of gangster Chhota Shakeel who had allegedly tried to extort Rs one crore from a real estate developer, a senior police officer said here today.

The arrested accomplice, Shakeel Sheikh (40), had allegedly been working as a henchman of Fahim Machmach, who is known to be a close aide of gangster Chhota Shakeel.

"The police acted after the real estate developer complained about extortion and a threat to kill his employees by Shakeel, if he failed to pay up," a senior police officer said.

"The real estate developer and his employees were continuously receiving calls from a Pakistan-based number. Our anti-extortion cell swung into action and nabbed the close associate of Fahim Machmach from Andheri," Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Dhanajay Kulkarni said.

Kulkarni, who was part of the team which nabbed the accused, said, "Shakeel Sheikh was arrested after we learnt that he was sentenced to imprisonment for eight years in connection with a murder case in neighbouring Thane".