Builders arrested outside court

MUMBAI: Two city-based property developers, both siblings, were arrested outside a court here on Tuesday in a case of cheating and extortion lodged by a builder, police said.

Fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar has also been booked for threatening complainant Vinod Avlani in the same case on Saturday.

"We have arrested Krishnamilan Shukla and Sandeep Shukla in connection of a case of forgery, cheating and extortion filed by Avlani with us while Haseena Parkar has also been named as an accused in the case on Saturday," a senior Anti-Extortion Cell official said.

The Shuklas were arrested after their anticipatory bail plea was rejected by Additional Session Judge Shreehari Davare on Tuesday on grounds that they were involved in 'serious offences' and after the prosecution said the police suspect
them to be linked with some organised crime syndicate.

There was a ruckus in the court premises after the duo tried to prevent the police from arresting them.

According to police, the Shuklas were allegedly in need of funds to start two lucrative slum re-development projects in central Mumbai and approached Avlani who introduced them to Ravi Group builders.

A meeting was held at Parkar's residence in Nagpada with developers Chandresh Shah and Jayendra Shah being in attendance among others.

The Shuklas were paid Rs one crore through demand drafts of which they encashed Rs30 lakh. According to police, the Rsone crore amount was inclusive of Rs 30 lakh paid by Avlani as a middleman in the deal.