In his complaint before the Delhi Police, Dinky Mascaranhas claimed Sharma had cheated him of more than Rs 30 lakh in a consultancy project. Sharma also reportedly forced him to sign false receipts amounting to Rs 1.26 crore.

With the latest case registered at Hauz Khas Police Station yesterday, Sharma, currently lodged in Tihar Jail, is now facing investigation in 17 criminal cases.

According to DCP (south) P.K. Srivastava, Mascaranhas said Sharma contacted him in Mumbai in November 1996 through a common friend. Sharma's friend Samuel Bandish had reportedly told Mascaranhas that Sharma wanted him to design a farmhouse and a bungalow in Delhi.

Mascaranhas met Sharma in Delhi at the latter's C-30 Mayfair Garden residence that year to show several models of farmhouses and bungalows. Sharma, however, evinced interest in Mascaranhas' properties in Mumbai. He reportedly said he would invest Rs 50 lakh in these properties if Mascaranhas was willing to sell them to him at a later date.

He allegedly asked the architect to sign an agreement, following which he handed over a draft of Rs 5 lakh as initial payment. Mascaranhas told the police he was forced at gunpoint to sign advance receipts of subsequent payments. Sharma's gunman then reportedly threw him out of the Mayfair Garden house after taking away his cellphone.

Mascaranhas said he did not report the matter to the police at that time because Chota Shakeel, a member of the Dawood gang, had allegedly threatened him with dire consequences several times.

In March 1998, Mascaranhas came to Delhi to sell two cars -- an Audi and a Chevrolet. Sharma apparently got wind of his visit and allegedly forced him to bring the cars to his Mayfair Garden house.

After taking over his cars, Mascaranhas was asked to leave for Mumbai. Sharma's men contacted him there later that month and reportedly forced him to sign a receipt for Rs 1.28 crore without giving him the money.

The DCP said that Mascaranahas mustered courage to report his ordeal to the police after he came to know of Sharma's arrest in other cases.

Sharma was arrested by the Delhi Police on October 21. His detention under the National Security Act (NSA), has been, however, revoked after an advisory board of Delhi High Court rejected his detention on technical grounds.