Court sends Chhota Rajan's wife to judicial custody

Mumbai, Mar 4 (UNI) Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court today remanded underworld don Chhota Rajan's wife Sujata Nikhalje in judicial custody till March 10.

When she was produced before MCOCA Judge Ashok Bhangale today, the prosecution did not seek her custody for further interrogation.

Sujata, who was arrested on December 14 last year, went on a hunger strike in the police station the next day, protesting against her arrest under MCOCA. She had been admitted to a hospital following her refusal to consume any food.

However, on February two, she moved an application before the MCOCA court stating that she had given up the fast and was ready to face interrogation.

In view of this, Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian moved the application for her custody before the MCOCA court on February 16 after obtaining a medical report about her condition from the hospital dean. Subsequently, court granted her custody to the police from February 16 to interrogate Sujata for her involvement in the extortion case.

Apart from Rajan's wife, police have arrested five more persons-- Rajan's elder brother Prakash Nikhalje and their three accomplices Suresh Shinde, Harvinder Singh alias Kookoo Daruwala, Rakesh Surve and Bharat Dudhani, a chartered accountant, who is still in police custody till March six.

The police alleged that Sujata had received half of the Rs 10 lakh extortion amount from the complainant.

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