Stolen car racket: RTO official missingThe Crime Branch of Mumbai police have launched a manhunt for an official attached to the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Ghatkopar (E) in connection with a stolen car racket. While the brain behind the racket was arrested on Sunday, the RTO official who helped him has escaped. Bharat Palan (24), a resident of Ghatkopar (E), had purchased a Maruti Esteem car late last year. He sought the help of an acquaintance Sanjay Desai (37) to get the licence, the registration papers etc. Desai in turn approached RTO official Rajendra Bhat for the purpose.In January this year, when Palan went to his native village he left his car with Desai. On his return, Desai avoided giving the car back to Palan for many days. The STD booth owner got suspicious on seeing an Esteem car at Desai residence with a different number plate and colour and promptly lodged a complaint.Desai was arrested on Sunday. On questioning Desai admitted that he had sold Palan's car to a Bhayanderresident after changing the number plate, chasis numbers etc.Police suspect the Desai, Bhat and another accomplice may be involved in many similar cases. Meanwhile, Desai was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Usha Iyer who remanded him to police custody up to March 30.Excise inspector's shooter heldThe J J Marg police on Saturday arrested the main shooter of Central Excise inspector Farokh Batatawala in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh. With the arrest of Sagir Ali Shaikh of the Chhota Shakeel gang, four persons have been arrested. Batatawala was gunned down by the accused, all belonging to the Chotta Shakeel gang on May 1, 1998 at Mohammed Ali Road. Sagir was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate C L Thool who remanded to police custody till Monday.ACB nets BMC officialA Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officer was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 on Saturday.Liladhar Nakhade (55), an officerattached to Solid Waste Management department of the BMC, had demanded the amount from a lady who was running a Zunkha Bhakar stall. After Nakhade demanded bribe, the lady informed the ACB who laid a trap at the Bandra office and arrested him. He was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate C L Thool at the Holiday court on Sunday and was released on a bail of Rs 10,000.Woman looted of Rs 1.43 lakhFour armed men looted a woman of her cash and jewellery totally worth Rs 1.43 lakh after intercepting the car in which she was travelling at Vile Parle late on Sunday. The victim and her driver were injured in the attack. The lady, whose name was withheld by police, was travelling in a Sumo when it was intercepted by a Maruti car at the junction of Gulmohur Road and Khar Road no 9 near Copper Chimney Hotel. The four men smashed the van's windscreen and attacked the lady and her driver with choppers. One of the men pointed a revolver and snatched the bag containing Rs 1 lakh incash. No one was arrested so far.
