The anti-extortion cell has invoked MCOCA against gangster Ejaz Lakdawala and his aide, Salim Maharaj, in a case of extortion filed by a builder from Byculla.

Lakdawala and Maharaj have been arrested for threatening a builder from Byculla and demanding R50 lakh from him.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Public Prosecutor Jai Singh Desai told the court that Lakdawala has about 30 cases registered in Mumbai.

Desai said Lakdawala used to talk to his men through an app, and these people used coded language to communicate with each other. Both of them need to be remanded in custody to decode that language. Lakdawala's lawyer told the court that even in the last remand, the police had to check the app and took their remand by stating the same reason.

After the arguments of both the lawyers, the court has sent Lakdawala and Maharaj to police custody.

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