Daya Nayak's police custody extended to March 6

Mumbai, Mar 1 (UNI) A special court today extended till March six the police custody of Mumbai police 'encounter specialist' sub inspector Daya Nayak and his accomplice Rajendra Padte in a case of disproportionate assets.

Special ACB judge S P Mahajan granted the prosecution plea to extend their police remand when Public Prosecutor R V Kini informed the court their custody was required to investigate some new matters which had cropped up during their interrogation.

He said sleuths of the anti-corruption bureau have to investigate to establish the ownership of eight rooms in Malad Patel Chawl, popularly known as ''Daya Chawl.'' It is alleged that Nayak, suspended from service after he was booked in the corruption case , had given these rooms to police constables free of cost.

Meanwhile, state CID today moved an application in the court requesting his custody for recording his statement in the sensational Khawja Yunus case.

Nayak, during a media blitz against serving and retired police officers before his surrender to the ACB court, had claimed he was privy to certain information about the ''disappearance '' of Yunus from police custody.

Mumbai police had claimed that Yunus, arrested for his alleged involvment in the Ghatkopar bomb blast, had escaped from the custody while he was being taken to Ahmednagar case investigation. However, a co-accused had alleged that Yunus had died of torture in police custody during interrogation.

The ACB court , however, did not pass any order on the CID's application.

The ACB had booked Nayak, his wife Komal, and accomplices P Manivelan and Rajendra Padte under the Prevention of Corruption Act on January 20.

Nayak has been charged with having acquired assets worth over Rs 41 lakh ''by corrupt means. '' Barring Manivelan, all others accused moved various courts, including the Supreme Court, seeking anticipatory bail. But except for Komal no accused got any relief.

The Bombay High Court, while granting pre-arrest to Komal, however, dismissed the plea of Nayak and Padte on February 8. The two then moved the Supreme Court but it upheld the High Court judgement in its order of February 17 and directed them to surrender before the trial court, which they complied with by surrendering before the ACB court on February 20.

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