Kiril Rashkov aka Tsar Kiro, the notorious Bulgarian Roma leader whose clan triggered widespread tensions in Bulgaria several months ago, angered a crowd of fellow villagers by flipping them off on Thursday.

Rashkov made the arrogant gesture as he entered the district court in Asenovgrad, which had to rule on whether he should be released from custody due to his precarious health condition.

The ruling was postponed until December 22. The alleged mafia boss should undergo medical examinations by December 21.

Rashkov is accused of threatening to kill one of his fellow villagers, Veselin Hristev, on September 23 2011 in the village of Katunitsa near Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv.

Also on September 23, a van driven by members of Rashkov's Roma clan deliberately ran down and killed 19-year-old ethnic Bulgarian Angel Petrov in the village.

This provoked the ire of villagers and citizens across Bulgaria. Throngs gathered in front of the Rashkov illegal luxurious estates in Katunitsa and set them aflame.

The events sparkled nationwide protests against what many saw as the inaction of the state against bosses in the organized crime world. Far-right groups were quick to gather in the major cities, marring the protests with racist slogans.

Since the turmoil in September, residents of the southern Bulgarian village have insisted that the Roma family be forced to move out. They have repeatedly stated that Rashkov and his family have been terrorizing Katunitsa for years now.