Ambekar gets 10-day police custody; home food plea rejected

NAGPUR: Gangster-turned-real estate dealer Santosh Ambekar, thrice slapped with Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA), has been remanded to police custody till February 9 after crime branch produced him before Chief judicial magistrate (CJM) AC Raut on Thursday. The court also rejected home food for the alleged don but allowed his application to file an affidavit before the high court with the condition of not misusing the opportunity.
Apart from Ambekar, his co-accused Yuvraj Mathankar, Akash Borkar, Gautam Bhatkar and Sanjay Fatode were also remanded to 10-day police custody. Investigation officer (IO) Avinash Shilimkar had asked for 10-day remand for conducting investigation into the alleged case of extortion and Arms Act violation registered at Ambazari police station on January 17.
The court, while granting custody, observed, "nature of offence as well as manner in which they took place is serious. It requires thorough investigation." It also said the grounds of accusation were well-founded.
Crime branch PI Shilimkar had argued it needed to seize Ambekar's BMW into which he had come to Ambazari police station and threatened complainant and builder Jeetendra Chavan at gunpoint to cough up Rs 65 lakh to Ambekar's co-accused Poonam Wasnik on December 14 last year trying to settle a property dispute. The investigating agency, among the other grounds of PCR, also argued it needed to know from where Ambekar had procured the weapon.
PI Shilimkar stated that crime branch also needed to seize the vehicles of other four accused and recover two cheques worth Rs 30 lakh and Rs 35 lakh given by builder Chavan to Poonam following Ambekar's threats and his aides inside the detection wing of Ambazari police station. The crime branch PI also argued that Poonam was yet to be arrested and there was a need to know whether there were others involved in the case.
Ambekar and four others, except Poonam, were arrested on Tuesday amid much drama from outside the court room premises after their anticipatory bails were rejected by district and additional sessions judge SD Jagmalani. The court premises were turned into a fortress by city police with crime branch officials comprising PIs Shilimkar, Ramakrishna Mahalle, API Mangesh Desai, head constable Vijay Nemade and around 30 other personnel bringing Ambekar and others under tight security.
Deputy commissioner of police Sunil Kolhe supervised the security arrangements ensuring Ambekar's supporters were not allowed inside the premises. Three inspectors from Sadar police station with 15 personnel were present along with a group of riot control squad. The tight security reflected city police chief KK Pathak and Joint CP Sanjay Saxena's will to crush don's growing confidence riding on his money power and political influence.