Police later applied relevant sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to the case.Five people, allegedly linked to the Dawood Ibrahim gang, were arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch on Tuesday in connection with an extortion case registered last month. The crime branch had earlier arrested Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, brother-in-law of Dawood’s aide Chhota Shakeel, and Riyaz Bhati for their alleged involvement in the case. Police later applied relevant sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to the case.
“Five people have been arrested in the case so far,” said an officer from the Anti Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch, requesting anonymity. The five — Ajay Ganda, Feroz Chamda, Sameer Khan, Papa Pathan and Amjad Redkar — were produced before a special MCOCA Court on Tuesday, and remanded to police custody till October 18. Fruit and Bhati also were produced before the court and were remanded to police custody till October 15.
The FIR against Fruit and Bhati was based on a complaint filed by a Versova-based businessman, who had come in contact with Bhati last year. In February 2021, he allegedly met Bhati at a hotel where he was introduced to Fruit.
The complainant, who liked playing cards, met with Fruit at a place in Matunga for the same. On the first day, Fruit — who lost to the complainant — said that he did not have money on him, and would pay the same later.
Subsequently, during another gambling session, Fruit won the game and told the complainant that he owed him Rs 62 lakh. On questioning, Fruit mentioned his connections with Shakeel.
Bhati and Fruit revealed during interrogation that the five other accused had a role in extorting money from the businessman. “So, we arrested all of them,” said an officer, on the condition of anonymity.
In August 2022, the National Investigation Agency arrested Fruit in connection with playing an active role in extorting money in the name of Chhota Shakeel. Following an interrogation, he was lodged at the Arthur Road jail from where the Mumbai Crime Branch took his custody on October 1 in connection with the Andheri case.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police on Monday registered another FIR against Fruit, a man identified as Arif Shaikh alias Arif Bhaijaan, and a builder for extorting money from an antique dealer and builder in 2018.