Gangster Kumar Pillai in Crime Branch custody till July 7

Gangster Kumar Pillai was finally brought back to Mumbai by Crime Branch officials on Monday night after being detained in Singapore in January.

Pillai has several cases - one murder case, two attempt to murder cases, one extortion case and two Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) cases - against him. He was produced before the special MCOCA court at Arthur Road yesterday and remanded to police custody till July 7 in a 2009 Vikhroli attempt to murder case. A non-bailable warrant was issued against Pillai in 2013 and later a red corner notice.

Security near the police commissioner's office at Crawford Market has been beefed up as Pillai is being kept at the special crime branch's lock up inside that office. Barricades were put up and more cops were deployed.

Crime branch officials said to initiate Pillai's extradition they had to do lengthy, tiring paper work. His extradition was initiated based on one piece of evidence Mumbai Police had against him: Fingerprints, which were 26 years old. A team of crime branch was regularly travelling to Singapore during the last few months to complete the process.

2009 extortion case
Pillai had allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh as extortion from one builder in Vikhroli. When the builder didn't pay him, Pillai allegedly sent a few of his gang members to the builder's office. They vandalised the place and when one of them tried to shoot the builder, his gun jammed and he couldn't fire. The builder registered a case with Vikhroli police against Pillai and others.