Rai produced in Bangalore court

In an operation marked by high security and complete secrecy, the Bangalore city police yesterday produced underworld don Muthappa Rai before a local magistrate and whisked him away to an undisclosed location.

Rai, wanted in as many as 19 cases that include charges of murder, illegal use of arms and explosives, was brought to Bangalore early this morning from New Delhi and taken away from the tarmac for questioning.

Later in the evening, he was produced before the magistrate who remanded him to police custody.

Police sources, who have been tight-lipped about the entire affair, said that he was likely to be interrogated by central Indian intelligence agencies.

In Karnataka, he is wanted, among other things, allegedly for the murder of a builder, Subbaraju. Subbaraju was killed in broad daylight in his office in the city last year.

Rai was brought from New Delhi by a special team from both the Karnataka police, headed by DCP Ravindra Prasad and central Indian intelligence agencies after having been arrested by the Dubai police for staying in the UAE with invalid visa papers.

The security cordon around the don is said to be a 'strong contingent' for more than one reason. Police sources say that there might be some danger to his life. State police officials claim little or no knowledge of the outcome of his interrogation at Delhi.

They, however, suspect that the interrogations were concerned not only with Rai's alleged links to Dawood Ibrahim, but also on the possibility that Rai's relations with Dawood might have been strained.

Bangalore City police, in January this year, had sought the Interpol's help in nabbing Rai. All documents had been sent to the Interpol Wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) so that a 'red corner' notice could be issued by it.

A bank employee-turned-live band owner, Rai has been wanted by the Bangalore police in a long time. He has been accused of playing a role in the murder of the then underworld don, M.P. Jairaj in the late eighties. He is also alleged to have a hand in the murder of another underworld kingpin, Oil Kumar.

Though the police had even then sought the extradition of Rai from Dubai, it had not been possible thanks to the lack of a treaty between the two countries. The treaty was signed in 1999. However, Rai has not been extradited but deported after the Dubai police arrested him for invalid visa papers.