Balbale was held on March 30 from his home at Tank Road, Byculla. According to police, he had used Nandgaonkar's Tata Sumo for the purpose of stealing the bike.

Following a tip-off that a stolen bike had been brought to a nearby garage for repairs, Byculla police seized the vehicle and zeroed in on Balbale. However, police nabbed Balbale only after some hesitation, as he happened to be one of the trusted servants of the MLA.

Balbale was arrested along with Yaqub Pawaskar, another Chhota Shakeel aide. Pawaskar had earlier been arrested by the crime branch in January 1997 for his involvement in the indiscriminate firing in Sessions Court in November 1996, when Chhota Rajan's aide Sadhu Shetty wasbrought to the court for hearing. Pawaskar was the driver of the car from which the gangsters sprayed bullets with their AK-47 rifles.

Nandgaonkar, who employed Balbale as a driver early in 1998, paid him a monthly salary of Rs 3,000 and also gave him additional pocket money. After Balbale's arrest, his parents went to the MLA and pleaded with him to save their son. When Nandgaonkar visited Byculla police station, the information he got from police left him shocked.

``I could have got myself killed at the hands of my driver. After all, a driver is aware of each and every movement of his employer. It would have been a cakewalk for the Shakeel gang to kill me,'' Nandgaonkar said.

However, police are squarely blaming Nandgaonkar for not having screened the person before employing him. ``At a time when we are asking the common man to be careful before employing servants and watchmen, politicians should be extra-careful because they have greater threat perception,'' a senior police officer noted. Anotherofficer said that if any untoward incident had taken place, it is the police who would have been blamed and not the MLA.

Nandgaonkar accepted the blame, partially. ``The boy lived in my neighbourhood at Tank Bunder Road. He was poor and had come to me for a job. How would I know about his affiliations? However, I will now not entertain him and his likes,'' Nandgaonkar said.

Balbale has another case of robbery against him registered by Saki Naka police station in 1997, when he had stolen the money box kept in the shrine of Baba Chand Wali Shah at Powai. He was arrested in this case and a part of the stolen amount was recovered from him.

``We are making further investigations and hope to recover more vehicles from him. We also expect Balbale to open up and admit to his complicity in other offences which he might have done with Pawaskar,'' a senior police officer revealed.

Balbale and Pawaskar have been remanded to police custody till April 12, 1999.