There were about 1, 700 calls exchanged between stock broker Gautam Vora who was arrested on Monday for allegedly giving shelter to gangster Vijay Palande and Palande's wife Simran Sood, police said.

Palande, a key accused in the murder of Delhi-based businessman Arun Kumar Tikoo (67) and aspiring producer Karan Kumar Kakkad, had escaped on April 10 from the police jeep and Vora was picked up by police for helping Palande after his escape. Palande was later re-arrested at Churchgate station.

There were 1, 700 calls exchanged between Vora and Sood and the former helped Palande because he was in relationship with Sood who had introduced Palande as her brother.

"Palande never objected to Sood's relationship with other men", said the officer.

Incidentally, model Vibeka Babajee, who committed suicide in 2010 and had blamed Vora for it in a suicide note, knew about the relations between Vora and Sood and this could have led Babbajee to commit suicide, an officer said.



Sood, who hails from Punjab, was arrested by police here on April 12 in connection with abduction and murder of Delhi-based aspiring producer Karan Kumar Kakkad (28).

The police also said that they believe that Vora knew that Palande had escaped from custody and he chose to take Palande to Godwin hotel as he used to frequent that hotel.