Mumbai: The police have named Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Chhota Shakeel as a wanted accused in an extortion case in Thane in which Dawood’s brother Iqbal Kaskar and two others have been arrested for demanding ₹30 lakh and four flats from a realtor.
Meanwhile, a Thane court on Wednesday extended the police custody to Kaskar, Israr Saiyyad and Mumtaz Shaikh by four days.
The three have been booked under Section 384 (punishment of extortion), Section 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), and Section 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion) of the Indian Penal Code.
While seeking an extension of the custody of Iqbal and two of his associates, the Anti-Extortion Cell said Shakeel was instrumental in facilitating Iqbal’s extortion racket. The Hindu has accessed a copy in which Shakeel, along with Pankaj Gangar, Shammi Murba, Guddu and Sadar Sahbag have been named as wanted accused.
Kaskar was asked by Judicial Magistrate First Class R.T. Ingle if he had any complaints; he said no. The police said they need custody by four more days as they have found out that there has been no transaction of money, and the money needs to be tracked. The court was also informed that police was yet to trace and arrest four shooters from Bihar whom the gang had hired to intimidate the builder.
Kaskar and his associates invested in properties and land from the extortion ransom in not only Mumbai and Thane, but also outside the state.
The Hindu has access to the remand copy which mentions an extortion call made by Kaskar, which transcribed the lines in Hindi. “I am underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar. Iqrar Sayeed and Mumtaz Shaikh are my men.” He said, “I have taken the land of Bharti Bhosale and her son Gurunath Bhosale at Waghbil road, Kavesar, Thane.” He went on to say, “Settle the matter the way I am suggesting; otherwise my men will kill you. So think about what I am saying.” A suspected businessman in Borivali was used to fund the racket while two history-sheeters from Bihar used to threaten builders and extort money in Shakeel’s name. Both of them were known to Mumtaz Shaikh, who is also from Patna.
Anti-Extrotion Cell (Thane Crime Branch) head Pradeep Sharma said in court that “Kaskar has revealed some names.”
According to Mr. Sharma, “We have information about the ₹90 lakh which Kaskar and his aides have extorted from the complainant. We are going to the seal that property which they purchased from the extortion money.”