Monday, December 19 2005 16:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Prakash Nikalje, younger brother of fugitive don Rajan Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan, was remanded to police custody till December 28 by a special MCOCA court, here today (Dec 19, 2005).

Prakash was arrested by Mumbai crime branch last evening in connection with the ongoing probe against his sister in-law and Chhota Rajan's wife, Sujata Nikalje, in an extortion case.

He was produced before MCOCA acting judge, Abhay Thipsay, who remanded him to police custody after the Police said that his role into the extortion case was yet to be fully ascertained.

Meanwhile, Prakash told the judge that the Mumbai police had illegally detained him for the last four days and it was not true that he was picked up and arrested yesterday. Police refuted the charge in the court.

The court, however, accepted the plea of Prakash's lawyers that he be provided home food during his stay in the custody.

Sujata Nikalje and three more members of the Chhota Rajan gang were arrested last week on charges of extorting Rs 10 lakh from an east-Mumbai builder and later demanding Rs 20 lakh more. They have been booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and Prakash has been arrested as police suspects that he was also involved in his brother's extortion business.