MUMBAI, November 5: Unable to face the embarrassment of the bailed out trio who attacked film producer-director Rajiv Rai, the Mumbai police last week booked them under the Maharashtra Prevention of Slumlords, Bootleggers and Dangerous Persons (MPDA) Act, 1981. The three will now spend a year behind the bars at the Nashik Central Jail.

Mohammed Arif Din Mohammed Sheikh, Shakil Ismail Khan and Iqubal Dastgir Sheikh attacked Rai at his Tardeo office on July 31, 1997. Shakil was booked under the Act on October 29, 1997, while Mohammed and Iqubal were booked the next day, and sent to Nashik jail.

To support the killing of alleged gangsters in encounters, the police blame the judiciary for releasing the accused on bail. As the encounters have come in for sharp criticism by different sections of the society, the police have taken the shelter of the MPDA Act to overpower the accused.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate R D Bhosle ordered on October 10, 1997, that the three be released on bail after they furnished a personal release bond of Rs 15,000 each, and a surety in the like amount. The magistrate granted them bail only because the police failed to file the chargesheet in the stipulated period of 60 days. Advocates for the three, Rakesh Parikh and Jatin Parikh, argued that the three be released on bail.

The police were peeved at their release, and within a few days Shakil was falsely implicated in a robbery case registered with the Nagpada police station. This fiasco came to an end only after he was discharged from the case for lack of evidence by the Metropolitan Court at Mazgaon on October 28, 1997. The next day he was booked under the MPDA Act. The MPDA act is considepolice to book notorious criminals. Recently, Arun Gawli was booked under the MPDA act and sent to the Amravati jail.

Mohammed and Iqubal have been implicated in a more serious case. Their names now figure as accused in the murder of an associate of Arun Gawli,

registered with the Agripada police station. The case is pending before the court and the two are already behind bars.

However, advocate Parekh is firm on challenging the police inaction in the Bombay High Court and said he will soon file an application seeking cancellation of the detention of the three.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.