Mumbai: Crime Branch to Probe D K Rao’s Financial Deals in Hotelier Extortion Case

The Crime Branch is set to probe the financial transactions of D.K. Rao, a close aide of gangster Chhota Rajan, who is suspected of accepting money from other accused in a case involving the extortion of a hotel businessman. Additionally, voice notes recovered from the mobile phone of arrested accused Abubakar Siddiqui will be examined, and voice samples of all accused, including D.K. Rao, will be tested for verification. Senior officials have confirmed the development.

D.K. Rao, whose real name is Ravindra Mallesh Bora (53), along with six others—Abubakar Abdullah Siddiqui (37), Imran Kaleem Sheikh (31), Riyaz Kaleem Sheikh (40), Asif Sattan Khan alias Saif Darbar (36), Javed Jalaluddin Khan (35), and Hanif Ismail Naik alias Annu Bhai (53)—was arrested by the Crime Branch on January 23. They have been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2), 308(4), 61(2), and 3(5).

D.K. Rao, known as a key henchman of Chhota Rajan, has a long criminal record with 42 serious cases, including extortion, murder, kidnapping, and robbery. In this case, it is alleged that accused Abubakar Siddiqui sought Rao’s assistance to seize a hotel owned by a 74-year-old businessman. Investigators suspect that Rao received financial benefits from this deal, and they are now scrutinizing his financial records.

Moreover, voice notes exchanged on WhatsApp between the accused were found on Abubakar’s mobile phone. As part of the investigation, the Crime Branch will collect voice samples of all accused, including Rao, to match them with the recovered recordings.

The entire extortion plot was orchestrated to seize the businessman’s hotel, and D.K. Rao reportedly issued death threats to the complainant while demanding ₹2.5 crore in extortion money. The Crime Branch is conducting further investigations into the case.