THANE: The special
Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (
MCOCA) court rejected the bail application of the alleged Matka king and financer of gangsters Chhota Shakeel arrested by the anti extortion cell in the infamous extortion case involving gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s brother
Iqbal Kaskar.
Special MCOCA judge AS Bhaisare rejected the plea stating that there is sufficient material against the accused to frame the charge.
Pankaj Gangar, was arrested in September 2017 by Thane crime branch along with Kaskar well as two of his aides allegedly for financing the racket to purchase the weapons used in threatning the targets. Also, he is accused of funding the gang as well as sending money to Chhota Shakeel via hawala channel to Pakistan.
A total of three cases were registered against Kaskar and MCOCA was invoked in one lodged at Kasarvadavali police station. Kaskar, Israr Sayyed, Gangar and Mumtaj Shaikh were arrested for threatening a prominent builder in Thane using Dawood’s name since 2013 and had managed to extort four flats from him. They sold three flats; Mumtaj was found living in the fourth, said a police officer.
Gangar, presently in jail, moved the bail plea seeking relief. In his application, he stated that he has been falsely implicated in the case and arrested by the police for publicity and his name does not appear in the FIR. The legal team representing also pointed out that Gangar has not threatened anyone and has not received any kind of money neither any flat has been transferred in his name. Also there is no material against the competent authority to prove that fugitive gangster Chhota Shakil is their leader. The prosecution vehemently opposed the plea and stated that he is active members of the gangsters and does not deserve bail as the gang using name of underworld gangster
Dawood Ibrahim had extorted money.
After hearing both sides, the judge in his order noted, “From the say of police, it can be gathered that Gangar is active member of the organized crime syndicate headed by Chhota Shakil along with other arrested accused. The accused, on the say of absconding accused Chhota Shakil and accused Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar, used to provide fund for purchasing firearms and weapons. So also, he had economically helped absconding accused Shami and Pappa Ansari and Guddu to threaten the complainant by visiting to his site.”
“There is sufficient material against the applicant to frame the charge,” the judge said in his order and rejected the plea.
