CBI's special judicial magistrate Samridhi Mishra pronounced the sentence here on Tuesday.
Apart from Abu Salem, another convict Parvez Alam has also been sentenced in the fake passport case.
Abu Salem a.k.a Abdul Qayoom Ansari, along with his associates Parvez Alam and Sameera Jumani, had applied for a passport in the name of Aqeel Ahmed Azmi at the Lucknow passport office in 1993.
Salem affixed forged documents of fake name and address with the application and obtained passport, which he later used.
After investigation into the case, the CBI had filed a charge-sheet. Taking cognisance of this, the court had framed charges against Salem on June 5, 2009.
Salem was sentenced to life by a TADA court in 2015 after finding him guilty in the 1995 murder of builder Pradeep Jain.
During the 90s, reportedly, the mafia and underworld had an upper hand on Bollywood with many superstars befriending gangsters and dons like Dawood Ibrahim, who operated while staying in Dubai. He was one of the few gangsters who was considered extremely powerful then and was allegedly involved in the killings of a few important people and blasts in Mumbai.
Even today, he is India’s Most Wanted Criminal but has been elusive to the Indian police force despite being very much friendly with Bollywood’s A-listed celebrities.
Narrating one incident during an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, Rishi Kapoor revealed that he once had a tea session with the underworld don sometime in 1988.
Will still watch their movies ?#BoycottBrahamastra #Brahmastra pic.twitter.com/umBbYLKoDm
— #BoycottBrahmastra (@KreatelyMedia) September 5, 2022
Revealing the entire incident, the Karz actor said that he had once gone to Dubai along with Asha Bhonsle, RD Burman, and other members for a show when someone from Dawood’s gang approached him and asked Rishiji to have tea and spend some time with the gangsters.
At that time, Dawood was already labeled as a criminal in India. So, when the interviewer asked him, “Any regrets about that.” To this, Rishiji said, “What is regretful about that?” He added, “I landed in Dubai. In those days there were no mobiles in India. But there were mobiles in Dubai. At the airport, there was a person I did not know. He handed me the mobile without even asking me whether I want to talk or not. “
Dawood introduced himself as Bhai to Rishiji to which the latter said, “Nice meeting you.” He further accepted an invitation from Dawood to have tea with him thinking that he had not created a menace in my country as it was being claimed. At this point, the interviewer interrupted stating, “He was a criminal even in 1988. He might have been a terrorist.”
Logical reason to #BoycottBramhastra
— Hathyogi (@hathyogi31) September 1, 2022
1. Ranbeer kapoor's father Rishi Kapoor met his saheb dawood to take lessons from him. According to him meeting a gangster is not a problematic thing as they are also the part of society. pic.twitter.com/REXL3UZ4lE
To this, the Chandni actor said, “So what, I met so many criminals in my life. I might have been one of the criminals. Maybe I did not commit a serious crime. But I met him thinking that I am an actor and I would like to know his story. I played him in the movie D-Day. I was inspired by him. We talked for 3 to 4 hours at length.”
The rewards are: Rs 25 lakh for the 'D-Company chairman' Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Rs 20-Lakh for his No. 2 Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, plus Rs 15 lakh each for Anees Ibrahim Kaskar, Javel Patel alias Javed Chikna and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon alias the equally dreaded Tiger Memon.
The curriculum vitae of these 'inglourious mafiosi' describes them as "involved in various terrorism/criminal activities such as arms smuggling, Narco terrorism, underworld criminal syndicate, money laundering, circulation of FICN (fake Indian currency notes), unauthorised possession/acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds".
The NIA missive also said they work in active collaboration with international terrorist organisations like Lashkar-E-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-E-Mohammed (JeM) and Al-Qaeda (AQ), and assured that the identity of the informer would be kept 'secret'.
The proclamation was hardly greeted with cheers in Mumbai but experts, politicos and commoners found it too funny to be true with some comparing it as an 'April Fool Joke' played six months in advance.
"This has shown our government and union home department in a poor light all over the world, indicates the utter ineptitude of the NIA and its abject surrender before Dawood," said Shirish Inamdar, security expert and ex-Additional Deputy Commissioner of the sensitive State Intelligence Department (SID).
Shiv Sena Spokesperson Dr. Manisha Kayande termed it as a "cruel joke" inflicted six months before April 1 on the masses reeling under inflation, joblessness and other burning problems.
"What is the sudden provocation for these rewards... Is it to encash public sentiments before the upcoming Gujarat elections and the 2024 polls, drum up 'desh-bhakti' and create patriotic passions to catch votes," demanded Dr. Kayande.
Slamming the move, Congress state General Secretary Sachin Sawant said Prime Minister Modi kept criticising the UPA Government on this issue and even boasted of his ideas to follow the US-Model used to eliminate Osama Bin Laden.
"Is this another 'master stroke' of the Modi regime? Why did Modi not ask the ex-PM Nawaz Sharif when he dropped in for his birthday celebrations (Dec. 2015). Better still, ask the BJP Minister Girish Mahajan who attended a wedding (May 2017) in the Dawood clan," Sawant said sharply.
Senior marketing consultant S. P. Menon from Mumbai said the piddly reward for the 'menacing five' must have amused even streetside toughies.
"What if these same 5 absconders declare a counter-reward of Rs 90-crore to any potential dare-devils for not revealing their whereabouts...? Why can't India emulate the drone-style attacks deployed by the US," wondered Menon.
Inamdar said that all these goons have left India over 35 years ago, they are functioning through proxies or henchmen and are said to be mostly leading a retired life and the 'rewards scheme' may turn out to be disaster.
A former police officer said that one of the Kaskar siblings, Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar, who was arrested by Thane Police in 2017 and still remains in custody, had disclosed the whereabouts of his brother (Dawood) and other members of D-Company in Pakistan, and how they are under the watch of that country's agencies.
As per Iqbal's revelations, Dawood was in a state of depression after his sole son Moin Nawaz decided against joining the family business empire and chose to become a 'maulana' (cleric-cum-religious preacher), (IANS - 25-11-2017), and later, even Chhota Shakeel's son Mubashir donned a cap, grabbed a rosary, qualified as a 'Hafiz-E-Quran' and became a Muslim preacher. (IANS - 26-08-2018).
These and other titbits tumbled out during Iqbal's intense grilling sessions by Thane Police, while a media team which went to Pakistan a few years ago, had even 'viewed and photographed' the don's purported home in a Karachi suburb.
The statements of the two witnesses are part of the charge-sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Malik in the money laundering case pertaining to a property of Dawood Ibrahim.
In his statement before the probe agency, Alishah Parkar, son of the gangster's sister Haseena Parkar, said Dawood Ibrahim is his "mamu" (maternal uncle) and used to reside on the 4th floor of Dambarwala Building (Mumbai) around 1986.
"After 1986, I heard from various sources and family that Dawood Ibrahim is in Karachi, Pakistan. I was not born when Dawood Ibrahim moved to Karachi, and I or my family members are not in touch with him," he told the ED.
Alishah Parkar further stated that occasionally during Eid, Diwali and other festive occasions, Dawood Ibrahim's wife "is in touch" with his wife and sisters.
Another witness, Khalid Usman Shaikh, has stated before the ED that "(Iqbal) Kaskar (Dawood Ibrahim's brother) told me that Dawood would send money through his men."
"He (Kaskar) said he too would get Rs 10 lakh every month. On a couple of occasions, he showed me wads of cash and said he'd received the money from Dawoodbhai, the witness told the ED.
Malik (62), a senior NCP leader, was arrested by the ED on February 23 this year in the money laundering case and is currently in jail.
The ED's case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Alishah, who is the son of Haseena Parkar, has also said that he wasn't in touch with Dawood.
The ED recently filed the charge sheet in a Mumbai court. This is the same case in which NCP leader Nawab Malik is also facing prosecution.
The ED charge sheet claims that Dawood's wife Mehajabin used to contact the Parkar family during festivals like Eid.
Alishah was grilled by the ED earlier in February. His statement has been furnished along with the charge sheet as a part of proof.
Salim Qureshi, an aide of Chhota Shakeel, was also interrogated by the team of the centre probe agency.
The ED has claimed that Qureshi went to Pakistan several times on the basis of a forged passport. He also allegedly works at the behest of Dawood and Shakeel.
The ED initiated money laundering investigation against Dawood Ibrahim and others, on the basis of an FIR registered by the NIA on February 3, 2022, under section 120B of IPC read with section 17, 18, 20,21,38 and 40 of UAPA.
In the aforementioned FIR, Dawood Ibrahim, Haji Anees alias Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna, Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon alias Tiger Memon were named as accused.
The FIR also stated that Dawood Ibrahim, after leaving India, started controlling his criminal activities in India through his close associates such as Haseena Parkar alias Haseena Aapa and others.
The arrested accused were identified as Arif Abubakar Shaikh and Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh.
The NIA official said that the two were running the syndicate of the D-Company from the western suburbs of Mumbai and were involved in illegal activities and terror funding.
Both will be produced before the special NIA court in Mumbai, where the agency will seek their custodial remand.
The Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against Chhota Shakeel, who operates an international criminal syndicate from Pakistan. He is involved in extortion, narcotics smuggling and terrorist activities.
The NIA has summoned two dozen persons to join the ongoing probe or face arrests.
The Enforcement Directorate, which is conducting a money-laundering probe into the underworld-linked property and hawala deals, had last Friday placed Kaskar under arrest after taking him custody from the Taloja jail neighbouring Navi Mumbai, where he was lodged in connection with multiple extortion cases against him.
On Thursday, Kaskar was produced before special judge MG Deshpande at the end of his ED custody.
As no further remand was sought by the central probe agency, the court sent him in judicial custody.
On Wednesday, the ED arrested Maharashtra's Minority Affairs Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik in connection with the money laundering probe linked to the activities of Dawood Ibrahim, his aides and the Mumbai underworld.
A special PMLA court had remanded Malik the agency's custody till March 3.
The ED is conducting a probe into the operations of the underworld and linked illegal property deals and hawala transactions.
Last week, it raided some locations in Mumbai, including those linked to Dawood Ibrahim's late sister Haseena Parkar, Kaskar and a brother-in-law of gangster Chota Shakeel.
The action was undertaken under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED's case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against 1993 Mumbai serial blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim and others.
The NIA had filed its criminal complaint under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
On February 7, the probe agency lodged a case against Dawood Ibrahim and others under various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act after receiving the vital inputs in this respect.
The NIA has learnt that top politicians and businessmen living Delhi and in Mumabi are on the radar of the D-Company.
He planned to carry out terrorists activities through his men. Their main intention was to execute bomb blast operation across India.
Recently, the home ministry had given approval to NIA to look after the D-company cases and start a thorough probe.
An NIA official told IANS that the name of Dawood Ibrahim and his aides were mentioned in the FIR filed by the NIA.
For quite a long time, Dawood had been spreading terror activities across India. He has also pumped money through Hawala channels to financially help those who are working at his behest to create unrest across India, he said.
The agencies have been keeping a close eye on the activities of the D-company and has found that in recent past they have recruited people across India to create riot-like situation.
They are promoting anti-national activities and are also trying to create rift between different religious groups.
Earlier, a lot of information was shared with the NIA regarding the involvement of Dawood in a lot of anti-national activities that took place across India. The probe agency learnt that Dawood was recruiting people in India and was financially and logistically helping them to create a riot like situation.
Different social media platforms were being used by D-company to communicate. NIA had intercepted a few of them and came to know that how a deep rooted conspiracy was being hatched.
On the basis of the materials available, the NIA had lodged an FIR against Dawood and D company.
Now the elite probe agency will look into the cases pertaining to the D-company.
Sources have confirmed to IANS that the Union home ministry has given them approval to start a thorough probe.
An NIA official told IANS that the names of Dawood Ibrahim and his aides have been mentioned in the FIR filed by the NIA.
The official said for quite a long time Dawood had been spreading terror activities across India. He has also pumped money through Hawala channels to financially help those who are working at his behest to create unrest across India.
The agencies have been keeping a close eye on the activities of the D-company and have found that in the recent past they have recruited people across India to create riot-like situations.
They are promoting anti-national activities and are also trying to create rifts between different religious groups.
"Earlier, a lot of information was shared with us regarding the involvement of Dawood in a lot of anti-national activities that took place across India. He is recruiting people in India and is financially and logistically helping them to create a riot-like situation. Different social media platforms are being used by them to communicate. We intercepted a few of them and came to know that a deep rooted conspiracy was being hatched. Now on the basis of the materials available we have lodged an FIR against Dawood and D-company," said the NIA official wishing anonymity.
NIA Public Relations Officer Sanjukta only confirmed that a case was lodged against the D-company.
Meanwhile, seeing the gravity of the matter, the NIA has formed a team of its elite officials to look into the matter.
During the hearings at that time on the lessons from Mumbai attacks for the United States, Senator John McCain asked what is the danger that the terrorist organisations within Pakistan might be able to obtain the nuclear weapons that we all know Pakistan has.
To this, a counterterrorism expert replied: "I think it is a real concern. We do receive regular reassurances from the Pakistani authorities that they have the nuclear weapons under tight control, but one does worry.
"When we look at the nexus in Pakistan between organized crime figures like Dawood Ibrahim and terrorist organizations, and we look at the black markets that were created to support Pakistan's own nuclear program through A.Q. Khan, I mean, this is a set of connections between organized crime, government authorities, and terrorist organizations that does raise the spectre of the possibility of large-scale finance and real concerns if they move into weapons of mass destruction," he added.
"I don't want to exaggerate the threat because I still do believe that terrorists get a tremendous amount of mileage out of doing low-tech things without attempting to do some of the more technologically challenging things, and the Mumbai attack was, as I mentioned before, an example of basically small-unit infantry tactics that paralyzed a city of 20 million people for the better part of 3 days," he added.
On Pakistan's response to rein in terrorists, experts said, moreover, we do have the reality that the civilian elected government's authority over the Pakistan military and intelligence services is limited.
"So we can keep on pressing them, as we should, but I think we have to accept that this is going to be a long-term diplomatic slog before we really can enlist Pakistan as being fully cooperative against terrorism," he added.
"And, by the way, the problem did not begin with this government or even the previous government. It was recognized by the National Commission on Terrorism in 1999 and 2000 that Pakistan was not fully cooperating against terrorism," experts added.
On cooperation not forthcoming from the Pakistani government or military, experts said: "Pakistan has been somewhat schizophrenic. At times, it has tried to make deals in some of these turbulent areas and negotiate ceasefires. That hasn't worked. At times, it has gone in with military force, and its own forces haven't fared well. I think we can do a lot more in terms of creating with military assistance some new relationships and a long-term effort to create some new capabilities. We have put billions of dollars into this and it is slow going," experts said.
Demanding a probe by a competent state or central authority, Fadnavis, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister, said the prime land worth several crores of rupees on LBS Marg in Kurla, was bought by the Malik-linked SIPL, signed by his son Faraz Malik, for barely Rs 30 lakh.
"While Sardar Shahavali Khan is a life-sentence convict, M. Salim Ishaq Patel is a former driver, bodyguard and frontman for Dawood's sister, the late Haseena Parker and also held her Power of Attorney (PoA). So, what was the need for the Malik to enter into a business deal with such persons who killed the people of Mumbai," Fadnavis demanded.
In a quick response, Malik made a challenging tweet: "Aa raha hoon main (I am coming)", referring to his media-briefing a short while later.
Fadnavis declared that this transaction and four other similar deals, prove Malik has links with the underworld and anti-national elements and demanded a probe by suitable state or central agencies, while promising to hand over the documents to NCP President Sharad Pawar.
Meanwhile, fans are in awe after the announcement of her comeback after several years of gap.
The veteran actress is all set for a comeback to the glam world and kick start her 2nd innings in Bollywood. Currently, Mandakini is going through several movie scripts to decide the right project that will mark her stronger and influencing comeback.
Mandakini's manager Babubhai Thiba while speaking to ETimes, recently revealed that the actress is highly focused in choosing the best script for her comeback.
"Mandakini is definitely making a comeback and at present reading scripts and inviting narrations too. She is open to working in Web Series and films, but wants to play central characters in the projects," ETimes quoted Thiba as saying.
"It was her brother Bhanu who actually convinced her to return to the glam world," he added.
Further, he stated that Mandakini was offered the central role in a TV Serial 'Chhoti Sardarni', however, she denied the proposal and instead, suggested Anita Raaj for the character.
The actress got inspired to make the decision for making a comeback after she realised that the craze for her still exists after fans could easily recognise her when she visited Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata.
However, it is certainly a good news for fans of Mandakini as the veteran actress is all set for a major comeback and it will be happening soon.
Mandakini: Famous For All Wrong Reasons.
Mandakini became famous for all the wrong reasons. With her debut movie, she went on to grab a lot of eyeballs for her controversial "bathing scene in a transparent sari under the waterfall' in Ram Teri Ganga Maili apart from other scenes. Though her next movies didn't do well at the box office, she was opted by the leading directors and producers for their projects.
Later, she even hit the headlines for her rumoured affair with dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Even her photographs with the most wanted gangster circulated on media and reports even claimed that the actress had an affair with Dawood. However, Mandakini strongly refuted the reports. But, soon the actress mysteriously stopped signing for new movies even though she had several films in a row to release in 1990.
Life Post Glam Career: Lesser Known Fact About Mandakini & Her Husband
Mandakini tied the knot with a former Buddhist monk, Dr Kagyur T Rinpoche Thakur in 1990.
However, many are unaware that Rinpoche was a known face since his toddler days. Yes, Mandakini's husband featured as a toddler in the iconic 'Murphy' radio advertisement. The same Murphy radio, highlighted in Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz starrer Barfi.
Narrating his Murphy story, Rinpoche told to Mid-Day, "I was three years old and used to reside in Manali. Everyone in Manali knew about the ad. The makers wanted me in the ad, as the original Murphy baby who was a girl had died. They were looking for someone identical."
As per reports, currently, Mandakini presently runs classes in Tibetan yoga and also helps her husband in running a centre for Tibetan medicine, which is commonly known as the Tibetan Herbal Centre in the area.
The MP has found himself on the receiving end after making such comment on social media with Twitteratti tearing him apart.
Swamy has raised doubts over the circumstances surrounding Sridevi's death.
Swamy told ANI, "Let's wait for prosecution to pronounce it. Facts in media don’t appear to be consistent. She never drank hard liquor, how did it enter her system? What happened to CCTV? Doctors suddenly appeared before media and said she died of heart failure. (sic)"
Let's wait for prosecution to pronounce it. Facts in media doesn't appear to be consistent. She never drank hard liquor, how did it enter her system? What happened to CCTV? Doctors suddenly appeared before media & said she died of heart failure: Subramanian Swamy on #Sridevi pic.twitter.com/ELMQtesPpZ
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018
The MP also questioned the relationships between actresses and Dawood. "Cinema actresses aur Dawood ke jo rishte hain, naajayaz rishte hain us par hamein thoda dhyaan dena padega," he said.
Cinema actresses aur Dawood ke jo rishte hain, naajayaz rishte hain us par hamein thoda dhyaan dena padega: Subramanian Swamy pic.twitter.com/Jtq8JUnEph
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018
However, this has not gone well with the Twitteratti and the MP was slammed for trying to seek attention from dead.
Now that the Dubai Public Prosecution has completed all the formalities, I request my friends in media and my friend Subramanian Swamy to please stop making false allegations. #Sridevi Ji's body will arrive tonight & her last rites will be performed tomorrow afternoon: Amar Singh pic.twitter.com/W1plyn4BDd
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018
Politician Amar Singh also urged Swamy to stop making such comments.
Meanwhile, Sridevi's mortal remains has reached Dubai airport and is expected to be repatriated today.
Speaking to the media outside the Thane Court, where he represented Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar (the absconder don's brother) in an extortion case, the lawyer said among the conditions Dawood has stipulated are that he should be lodged only in the high-secure precincts of Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ) in Mumbai.
"He had also conveyed his intentions through (former union minister and eminent lawyer) Ram Jethmalani a few years ago but the Indian government has not entertained any of his preconditions to return," Keswani said.
The ARCJ is the same prison where the Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was lodged for nearly four years till his hanging for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Keswani's statement on Dawood's desire to return came more than six months after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray made a similar revelation in Mumbai.
In his explosive remarks, Thackeray had claimed that not only was Dawood keen to come back but he was reportedly negotiating a 'settlement' with the Modi government.
The MNS chief further said Dawood was very sick and wanted to breathe his last in India.
In a related development, Iqbal was sent to police custody till Friday by a Special Court here on Tuesday in a land-grab and extortion case filed against him by the Thane Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC).
At least two others wanted in this case - Bhavar Kothar and Bharat Jain -- are absconding, said AEC chief Pradeep Sharma.
Opposing the police custody of Iqbal, currently in judicial custody for other cases, Keswani said it was puzzling when the crime was committed since his client (Iqbal) has been in police and judicial custody in Thane since his arrest on September 19 from Mumbai.
This is the same case in which, for the first time, the police have shown the three Kaskar siblings - Dawood, Anees (both absconding) and Iqbal - as accused.
The case pertains to alleged extortion of Rs 3 crore from a builder in a deal involving a 38-acre plot of land worth crores of rupees in Gorai, a coastal village in south-west Thane.
"ED begins investigation against Kaskar, Israr Z. Saiyyad, Mumtaz A. Shaikh and others for extortion and illegal transfer of property," an ED official said here.
Saiyyad and Shaikh are associates of Kaskar.
The financial probe agency's action comes after Iqbal was arrested in Mumbai last week for allegedly threatening a builder using Dawood's name and had demanded four flats and Rs 30 lakh cash.
The agency officials also said that they would soon grill Kaskar and his two associates.
The official further said that after investigation under the prevention of money laundering act, the agency might also attach the properties of absconding fugitive mafia.
Iqbal Kaskar lives in India after being deported from the United Arab Emirates in 2003.
"Wife of Ibrahim, Mehajabin Shaikh came to meet her father in 2016 in Mumbai and the Modi government kept on sleeping," Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a video message.
Surjewala's remarks came a day after the arrested brother of Dawood, Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar told investigators that his sister-in-law, Mehjabin Shaikh (Dawood's wife) visited Mumbai sometime in 2016 to meet her father, Salim Kashmiri, before quietly departing.
Targetting the investigative agencies of the government, Surjewala questioned, "What was CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) doing? What was Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W) doing?"
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the Congress leader said, "Wife of a terrorist, who is wanted in many terror cases arrives in India to meet her father and then goes back."
"Why she was not arrested? Why no action was taken against her?" he asked.
He also said that this shocking revelation was made by Mumbai's Thane police.
"The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), Defence Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) and Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) must give answers," he said.
Iqbal was arrested early on Tuesday by a crack team of Thane Anti-Extortion Cell headed by former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma who had picked him up from his Mumbai home late on Monday night in an extortion case.
Making the sensational claim, Thackeray said that Dawood is now very sick and crippled, he is very keen to return to India and breathe his last in his motherland.
"He is currently engaged in a 'setting' with the government for this and this could happen," Thackeray said at a huge gathering to launch his official Facebook Page.
However, he alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will exploit it politically by claiming that it managed to bring the absconder don to India.
"It is he (Dawood) who is keen to return... But, the BJP will claim credit for this to win the next elections," Thackeray predicted.
Kaskar was picked up from his south Mumbai residence by a team of Thane Anti-Extortion Cell headed by former 'encounter specialist' Pradeep Sharma.
The action follows a complaint by a city businessman alleging he had been getting extortion calls from some mafia gangsters owing allegiance to Iqbal Kaskar.
Acting on the complaint, Sharma picked up Kaskar, who is presently being questioned by sleuths, the sources said.
Dawood Ibrahim's name appears on the latest UK Treasury Department's "Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets", the Birmingham Mail reported.
The assets which have been frozen include properties in Midlands. Dawood Ibrahim owns a hotel in Warwickshire and residential properties across the Midlands, according to the report.
The Treasury sanction document lists three recorded addresses for Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan including one called The White House in the seaside Clifton area in Karachi. It also lists 21 aliases used by the don.
The sanctions prohibit the transfer of funds to anyone on the list and freezes any assets the targets may hold in the UK.
The Indian investigators had been pursuing Dawood Ibrahim's assets in the UK and visited the Midlands in 2015 to identify his assets.
According to an Enforcement Directorate official, a large chunk of Dawood Ibrahim's money has been invested in the UK and in Dubai and India.
Dawood Ibrahim is also reported to have properties in Dartford and Essex and in central London.
Dawood Ibrahim is on India's most wanted list for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. UN documents identify him as an associate of Al Qaeda while the US Treasury Department declared him a global terrorist in 2013.
The ministry was responding to an RTI query filed by a PTI Bhasha correspondent seeking information on the action taken by the government for bringing back Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Saeed and fugitive gangster Ibrahim.
"The ministry of external affairs has not received any request for extradition/deportation/return in respect of Hafiz Sayeed and Dawood Ibrahim from the investigating agencies concerned in India," it said.
Ibrahim is the main accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case in Mumbai in which around 260 people were killed, and more than 700 were injured. He fled the country post the bombings and is understood to be hiding in Pakistan at present.
Saeed, also the co-founder of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e- Taiba terror group, is accused of plotting the militant attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, in which 166 people were killed by a group of terrorists who had entered the city through a sea route.
In April, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stated that there was no doubt that Dawood was still in Pakistan. During the last 10 years, India has sent several dossiers to Pakistan in this regard, saying Ibrahim is the key accused in the serial bomb blasts case.
In 2011, P Chidambaram, the then home minister in the UPA government, had stated that Ibrahim was based in Karachi.
He had also said that India would continue to push its case to bring to justice the people who had planned the 2008 attack.
India has for long been advocating an extradition treaty among SAARC countries to ensure quick action against those involved in terrorist activities.
Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said Dawood is an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and a red corner notice has been issued against him.
"The United Nations Security Council has also issued a special notice against him. The subject has not been located so far. Extradition process with regard to Dawood Ibrahim would be initiated once the subject is located," he said in reply to a written question.
The government has been maintaining for a long time that Dawood Ibrahim is living in Pakistan with the patronage of Pakistani security establishment.
India had handed over to Pakistan several dossiers on Dawood, India's most wanted fugitive, giving details about his locations in Pakistan.
On December 27, 2014, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said in Lucknow that Dawood is India's most wanted terrorist and India has repeatedly asked Pakistan to hand him over to it.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said India's stand has been very clear for a long time that Dawood has been in Pakistan and he has been living in Karachi.
"We have been asking to hand over him to India for a long time. Already many evidence have been given to Pakistan.
Pakistan should now act and hand him over to us," he told reporters here.
Rijiju said Pakistan should cooperate with India in fight against terrorism if it is serious. "We want it to act on evidence," he said.
In Lucknow, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Dawood is India's most wanted terrorist and India has repeatedly asked Pakistan to hand him over to it.
"Wait and watch," Singh said without elaborating, when asked when India can get hold on him.
The comments came amidst reports which suggested that Dawood is running his business empire with impunity and the billions he makes are being spent in terror operations around the globe.
"Dawood has been tracked in Karachi, alive and kicking, and is heard expanding his real estate business," web-portal NewsMobile said based on tapes received from western diplomatic sources.
"This clearly proves that the underworld don is blatantly running his terror supermarket from Pakistan and his real estate interests are helping him generate enough funds to expand his operations," said
NewsMobile editor-in-chief Saurabh Shukla.
The Home Minister last month had said Pakistan was providing shelter to Dawood and the underworld don was staying along the Pak-Afghan border.
India's most wanted terrorist, Dawood is the mastermind of the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that claimed around 300 lives.
Asked about the news reports, Rijiju said government will examine the fresh evidence that have come.
"He has been taken under a production remand," NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede told IANS, but declined to comment further.
Currently, Iqbal, who is lodged in Thane Jail for extortion cases, is being interrogated at the NCB Mumbai office, after his name allegedly cropped up during investigations into various drugs cases being probed by the central agency in the past one year.
Former Director General of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, B.V. Kumar, also known as the super sleuth of Indian customs, has revealed in his new book 'DRI and the Dons' that initial whereabouts of Dawood Ibrahim was disclosed to him by one Rasheed Arba, an alleged underworld figure married to the sister of famous Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar.
Speaking with the IANS, B.V. Kumar said that purpose of writing the book on underworld dons, particularly on Dawood Ibrahim and Haji Mastan, was to showcase DRI's matchless contribution in initiating tough action against most dreaded underworld syndicates of South Asia.
"We were the key agency to detain and interrogate Dawood Ibrahim and book him under COFEPOSA. When I got Dawood detained (in July 1983), a petition came up in the High Court of Gujarat for an immediate hearing. On don's behalf, Ram Jethmalani had appeared to get Dawood released from detention," Kumar said.
Dawood Ibrahim, who later jumped bail and escaped to Dubai is still wanted by the DRI under the COFEPOSA case registered by B.V. Kumar.
Kumar is one among a few Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers who led DRI as well as Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and had a wonderful career in which he crushed the notorious underworld syndicates of Mumbai.
Remembering his encounter with Dawood, Kumar said that he was posted as Customs Commissioner in Ahmedabad in the mid-eighties. During that period a bloody gangland shootout between Dawood Ibrahim and Karim Lala gang had created a scare in the society, affecting peace in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Kumar writes in his book that one day while returning from Porbandar to Mumbai by car, Dawood was accidentally hit by a bullet fired by his aide, sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle. The shot was actually aimed at Alamzeb, D-company's gang rival owing allegiance to Karim Lala.
In his book, the former IRS officer reveals that the bullet had hit Dawood in the neck, but the injury was minor. The don was taken to Baroda's Sayaji Hospital. "I was informed about the incident and I immediately spoke to P.K. Dutta, the then Commissioner of Police, Baroda.
Later during interrogation Dawood admitted that he was doing 'number do ka dhandha' (involved in illegal activities). He was talking to me in Hindi. I found him as an ordinary person who looked calm. The interrogation continued for half an hour at Dutta's office. I then returned to Ahmedabad and obtained a detention warrant against Dawood under COFEPOSA," said Kumar.
When asked how Dawood managed to become one of the most dangerous underworld dons in Asia, Kumar said that lack of political will seems to be the biggest reason for this.
"Dawood used his money power to lure everyone. From Bollywood stars to cricketers and maybe some big politicians. But I am of the view that once India signed extradition treaty with the UAE, the underworld lord was compelled to leave Dubai and take a permanent refuge in Pakistan.
He is no more as influential as he was in the UAE "where he was rubbing shoulders with celebrities," he said.
Kumar said he presumes Dawood is not well these days and might remain in Pakistan till everything is over for the fugitive.
By Deepak Sharma
Former Director General of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, B.V. Kumar, also known as the super sleuth of Indian customs, has revealed in his new book 'DRI and the Dons' that initial whereabouts of Dawood Ibrahim was disclosed to him by one Rasheed Arba, an alleged underworld figure married to the sister of famous Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar.
Speaking with the IANS, B.V. Kumar said that purpose of writing the book on underworld dons, particularly on Dawood Ibrahim and Haji Mastan, was to showcase DRI's matchless contribution in initiating tough action against most dreaded underworld syndicates of South Asia.
"We were the key agency to detain and interrogate Dawood Ibrahim and book him under COFEPOSA. When I got Dawood detained (in July 1983), a petition came up in the High Court of Gujarat for an immediate hearing. On don's behalf, Ram Jethmalani had appeared to get Dawood released from detention," Kumar said.
Dawood Ibrahim, who later jumped bail and escaped to Dubai is still wanted by the DRI under the COFEPOSA case registered by B.V. Kumar.
Kumar is one among a few Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers who led DRI as well as Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and had a wonderful career in which he crushed the notorious underworld syndicates of Mumbai.
Remembering his encounter with Dawood, Kumar said that he was posted as Customs Commissioner in Ahmedabad in the mid-eighties. During that period a bloody gangland shootout between Dawood Ibrahim and Karim Lala gang had created a scare in the society, affecting peace in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Kumar writes in his book that one day while returning from Porbandar to Mumbai by car, Dawood was accidentally hit by a bullet fired by his aide, sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle. The shot was actually aimed at Alamzeb, D-company's gang rival owing allegiance to Karim Lala.
In his book, the former IRS officer reveals that the bullet had hit Dawood in the neck, but the injury was minor. The don was taken to Baroda's Sayaji Hospital. "I was informed about the incident and I immediately spoke to P.K. Dutta, the then Commissioner of Police, Baroda.
Later during interrogation Dawood admitted that he was doing 'number do ka dhandha' (involved in illegal activities). He was talking to me in Hindi. I found him as an ordinary person who looked calm. The interrogation continued for half an hour at Dutta's office. I then returned to Ahmedabad and obtained a detention warrant against Dawood under COFEPOSA," said Kumar.
When asked how Dawood managed to become one of the most dangerous underworld dons in Asia, Kumar said that lack of political will seems to be the biggest reason for this.
"Dawood used his money power to lure everyone. From Bollywood stars to cricketers and maybe some big politicians. But I am of the view that once India signed extradition treaty with the UAE, the underworld lord was compelled to leave Dubai and take a permanent refuge in Pakistan.
He is no more as influential as he was in the UAE "where he was rubbing shoulders with celebrities," he said.
Kumar said he presumes Dawood is not well these days and might remain in Pakistan till everything is over for the fugitive.
Bhati (52) allegedly forged documents of the city- based Wilson College to obtain membership of the MCA club located in Bandra-Kurla Complex, a police official said.
He became member of the club in 2013, the official added.
Recently, the college administration found out that Bhati had fabricated certain documents using a fake seal and a fake stamp of the college, and it approached the crime branch.
The Anti-Extortion Cell of the crime branch arrested him Monday night from his house in suburban Versova and a local court remanded him in police custody till July 5.
Further probe is on.
"The location of Dawood Ibrahim is not a secret. Time and again for the last several years India has presented to Pakistan a list of people who are there, and we have asked repeatedly that he be handed over. He (Dawood) is a UN-proscribed terrorist whose imprint on the Mumbai attacks is very clear. His linkages are in Pakistan, which is very clear," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at his weekly media briefing here.
Kumar said Pakistan is "trying to convince the international community on steps they claim they have taken on terrorists and terror groups operating on their soil".
But when it comes to taking action against those terrorists that India has demanded, Islamabad goes into a "denial mode" and denies they exist and their presence in their country, he said.
"Basically it is a case of double standards and Pakistan stands completely exposed on its stand on taking action on terrorist groups," Kumar said.
According to reports, the US has requested the UK for the extradition of Dawood's henchman Jabir Motiwala, a Pakistani national, who was arrested by Scotland Yard's Extradition Unit in August last year.
Motiwala has been charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with money laundering, extortion and conspiracy to import unlawful substances such as heroin.
Dawood is wanted in India in connection with the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai that killed 257 people.
Asad, a cousin of former Pakistan dictator, Gen Pervez Musharraf, had hosted 'Mika Singh Night' on occasion of the 'Mehndi' ceremony of his daughter Scellina, at 23, Beach Avenue, Phase VIII of Defence House Authority (DHA), a place not very far from where D-company members Anees Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel reside in Karachi.
A senior journalist associated with a leading Karachi daily told IANS that Asad, a small time tissue paper manufacturer, rose to become a prominent industrialist of Karachi, during his cousin, Gen Musharraf's tenure. Asad has close proximity with top erstwhile cricketers which include now Prime Minister Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas.
Due to his closeness to the Prime Minister, Asad succeeded in procuring visas for Mika Singh and his 14-member troupe, and went on to host the Bollywood night on August 8 in Karachi, despite a blanket ban by the Pakistan government on shows performed by any Indian artiste or film personality. The journalist revealed that besides top bureaucrats, army and police officials, family of star cricketers, including Miandad's, were also invited in the show which began after midnight. Miandad's son Junaid is married to Dawood's daughter Mahrukh.
The journalist acknowledged Miandad's relations with Dawood Ibrahim but avoided answering any further queries related to whereabouts of D-Company boss or his nexus with the Pakistan establishment.
Owner of the multi-billion Venus Group, Asad's Facebook profile boasts of his closeness with star cricketers and army top brass. Former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Ahmed Shuja Pasha also happens to be on his selective friend list. During Pasha's tenure as head of the spy agency, ISI-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008 in which 174 people, including foreign citizens, were killed and over 300 injured.
About presence of Dawood's daughter and his other family members at 'Mika Night', IANS tried to contact Asad on his landline number in Karachi, but the person receiving the call refused to reveal any information.
Indian intelligence sources in New Delhi did confirm Asad's association with Pakistan army officers and cricketers including Miandad but had no clue about his proximity with Dawood's family members.
Due to Eid holidays, Asad's office at Hawkesbay Road, Mauripur, Karachi seemed to be closed as several phone calls were not responded to.
The Mika night in Karachi went viral on social media on Saturday when some guests leaked video clips on Twitter. On both sides of the border, critics disapproved the entertainment spectacle amid escalating tension between the two countries.
Opposition leader, Syed Khursheed Shah of the Pakistan People's Party, said the government must find out who gave the security clearance and visas to Mika Singh to visit Pakistan at a time when the country had suspended diplomatic and trade relations with India.
On the Indian front, journalists and politicians across both sides of the divide, pulled up the Indian singer for choosing a wrong venue and date to perform.
BY DEEPAK SHARMA
The decisions have been taken nearly a month after Parliament approved a crucial amendment to The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 1967.
They are the first to be declared terrorists under the new anti-law, a home ministry official said.
The ministry cited a series of terror acts in which Pakistan-based Azhar was involved that include attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly complex in 2001, attack on Parliament in 2001, attack on Pathankot air base in 2016 attacks on BSF camp in Srinagar in 2017 and explosion of a CRPF bus at Pulwama on February 14.
It said Azhar was also designated as a global terrorist by the UN under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on May 1, 2019 and was declared as a proclaimed offender by the special judge (POTA), New Delhi.
"And whereas, the central government believes that Maulana Masood Azhar is involved in terrorism and Maulana Masood Azhar is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act...," a home ministry notification said.
On Saeed, the home ministry said he was involved in various attacks including Red Fort in 2000, a CRPF camp in Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), India's worst terror strike in Mumbai in 2008 in which 166 people were killed and the attack on a BSF convoy at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015.
Saeed, also the founder of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD), was designated as a global terrorist by the UN under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on December 10, 2008.
"And whereas, the central government believes that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is involved in terrorism and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act...," the notification said.
On LeT commander Lakhvi, the ministry said he was involved in various attacks including Red Fort attack in 2000, Rampur CRPF camp in 2008, Mumbai in 2008 and on a BSF convoy at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.
"And whereas, the central government believes that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is involved in terrorism and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act," the ministry said.
The LeT was listed as a terrorist organisation under the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Lakhvi was designated by the United Nations as a global terrorist under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on the 10th December, 2008.
The ministry said Dawood runs an international underworld crime syndicate and is involved in perpetrating acts of terror, promoting religious fundamentalism, terror financing, arms smuggling, circulation of counterfeit currency, money laundering, narcotics, extortion and benami real estate business in India and abroad.
He was also involved in assassination attempts on prominent personalities to create social disharmony and terrorise common man.
Dawood was designated as a global terrorist by the UN under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 and he is listed in al-Qaeda sanction list on November 3, 2003 and the United Nations Security Council had also issued a special notice in his name on April 6, 2006.
Islamic State of Iraq and Levant and Al-Qaeda Sanction Committee of United Nations Security Council had listed Dawood for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of, supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material or otherwise supporting acts or activities of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
It also said Dawood executed a series of bomb blasts along with his associates in Mumbai in March 1993, which resulted in deaths of 257 people and injured over 1000 others apart from destruction of properties on a massive scale.
"And whereas, the central government believes that Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is involved in terrorism and Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act," it said.
Speaking on the occasion of completion of 100 days of the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre, Javadekar said the biggest decisions taken include abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir in to two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh without one.
Besides, the ammendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act that paved the way for declaring Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, LeT's supreme commander of operations in Kashmir Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, all based in Pakistan, as terrorists.
The Minister said that the decisions were related to public welfare, public participation, against the terrorism and other issues.
Javadekar also released a booklet on completion of the 100 Days of the government titled "Hundred Days of Bold Initiatives & Decisive Actions".
"The decisions taken within 100 days of Modi 2.0 government was never ever taken by any governments...The 100 days were full of decisions."
These profiles, most of which do not appear to be original, tweeted against Akshay Kumar calling him "Canadian" and "molester".
A user tweeted: "List of Heroines who were molested by this molester Canadian @akshaykumar. Shilpa Shetty, Raveena Tondan, Legendary Rekha, Priyanka Chopra, Mouni Roy, Waheeda Rahman, Zaira Waseem, Latest kiara. Even molested his mother-in-law Dimple Kapadia. Time to throw HAWAS KA DEVTA AKSHAY out".
Another tweet reads: "So this so called Patriot Nationalist Canadian "HAWAS KA DEVTA AKSHAY" is a molester !!! @akshaykumar Shame on you."
Some other tweets read, "This Canadian @akshaykumar is the biggest MOLESTER. He is HAWAS KA DEVTA AKSHAY".
"This Canadian @akshaykumar is Not only looting our money Not only insulting poor for toilet Not only insulting girls for menstruation Not only insulting our scientists Not only insulting our flag But he is a big MOLESTER also. He is HAWAS KA DEVTA AKSHAY"
"He's the same guy who did dawood role and glorified terrorists but after failing to make a impression he started selling our Indian patriotic contents to save his down-going career graph. Shame on u @akshaykumar HAWAS KA DEVTA AKSHAY"
"HAWAS KA DEVTA AKSHAY Watch it guys he is disgusting," goes the caption of a video that has the actor rampwalking at a fashion show. At one point he walks up to his wife Twinkle Khanna, who is seated in the front row, and she unbuttons the top button of his denims in jest.
Akshay Kumar is yet to react on the trolling trend at the time of going to press on Saturday evening.
Actor producer KRK stood by the superstar and protested against the tweets, saying, "I really can't understand, why are people trending HAWAS KA DEVTA AKSHAY? If people want to say that he is Canada national then it's OK. Because he is. But people should not trend such dirty words."
On the work front, Akshay Kumar has a great roster lined up. He aims to occupy box-office space on almost every festive weekend beginning Diwali this year. While "Housefull 4" is slated for Diwali this year, "Good News" has been scheduled for Christmas 2019. "Laxmmi Bomb" has been lined up for Eid 2020 and Akshay aims at releasing "Prithviraj" on Diwali next year. His next release will be "Bachchan Pandey", possibly on Christmas 2020.
"Sooryavansham", lined up for March 27 next year, is his only non-festive release coming up.
Could the heavy cyber trolling be a malicious effort by some industry foe to bring down the superstar, at a time when his career is going full steam?
Lakdawala, who was associated alternatively with the gangs of rival mafia dons Dawood Ibrahim and Rajendra Nikhalje, alias Chhota Rajan, had an Interpol red corner notice pending against him.
"Lakdawala was a part of the Dawood gang. He might help us get important information about him," Joint Police Commissioner (Crime) Santosh Rastogi told the media after the big catch.
The fugitive gangster has been slapped with over 25 major cases from more than 80 complaints of extortion, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and killings, among others.
"He used to call from international numbers and issue threatening extortion calls to various people. The Crime Branch was tracking him since many days," Rastogi said.
A breakthrough of sorts was achieved recently when the Mumbai Police nabbed Lakdawala's daughter, Shifa Shahid Shaikh, alias Sonia, in a fake passport case on December 28.
She had acquired a passport by submitting fake documents and was planning to flee to Nepal along with her one-year-old daughter, but was arrested from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Sonia's interrogation revealed the probable whereabouts of Lakdawala in Nepal and north India. After verifying the information, a Mumbai Police team rushed to nab him from the jurisdiction of Jakkanur Police Station in Patna (Bihar) late on Wednesday.
He was brought to Mumbai and produced before a magistrate at Esplanade Court and has been remanded to custody till January 21.
Originally, belonging to the 'D-Company' in the 1980s, around 1992 Lakdawala parted company with Dawood to align with his arch-rival Chhota Rajan and worked with him for over 18 years.
Later, however, owing to some disputes over financial matters, Lakdawala broke off with Chhota Rajan and operated independently from 2001 onwards.
Apparently sensing an opportunity for sweet revenge, Dawood's close aide Chhota Shakeel had ordered a gangland hit on Lakdawala in Bangkok in 2002.
In that attack in a Bangkok market, he sustained seven bullet injuries, but survived, and shifted to Canada where he was arrested in 2004 on an Interpol notice.
Incidentally, the attack on Lakdawala came barely two years after his former boss, Chhota Rajan was also attacked in a hotel in Bangkok, but he too managed to escape and survive. After his extradition from Indonesia to India in November 2015, Rajan is presently in jail and facing trial in various cases.
Lakdawala also hatched a plot to kill Dawood in Karachi but the plan failed as Dawood did not turn up.
After the failed attempt on his life in Bangkok, Lakdawala went on the run and virtually became a globetrotter with operations in Canada (where he was arrested once), UK, US, Malaysia, Cambodia, Nepal and other countries.
He is reported to have amassed huge properties in Malaysia, London and Canada which the Mumbai Police will investigate separately.
(IANS)
The fugitive gangster, Lakdawala, arrested by the Mumbai Police from Patna on January 8, also disclosed two specific addresses of Dawood Ibrahim in Karachi during his police remand.
The two addresses told to the top officials at the Crime Branch are: 6A, Khayaban Tanzim Phase-5, Defence Housing Area, Karachi and D-13, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi.
One address is of Khayaban Tanzim phase, in Defence Housing Area while the other is of his Clifton-based bungalow in Karachi.
He has also confirmed addresses of Dawood's brother Anees Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel, who also live in Defence Housing Area of Karachi.
"Officials of other agencies are also questioning Lakdawala. We can only add at this stage that he is a prize catch, who has crucial information about the D-Company's FICN and drug racket," a senior official of the Mumbai Police told IANS over phone.
Once hiding in Canada, Lakdawala was also involved in peddling drugs into Europe through Rotterdam port in the Netherlands. The gangster revealed that the D-Company's drug racket was first operated by late Iqbal Mirchi and of late by Chhota Shakeel, who is looking after the lucrative contraband business.
Lakdawala said that much of the drugs are smuggled out of Afghanistan and later pushed through the Karachi port to South East Asia, as well as to destinations in Europe.
The D-Company has significant hold in Thailand and Bangladesh from where drugs are further smuggled to other destinations including India.
Sources said that Ejaz Lakdawala, who along with Chhota Rajan parted ways with Dawood Ibrahim post the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai, had attempted to eliminate the D-Company boss, during the funeral of Dawood's daughter Maria, in Karachi a decade ago.
The operation was led by Chhota Rajan's sharpshooter Vicky Malhotra. However Dawood did not turn up at the funeral procession, and the mission had to be aborted. Later, Lakdawala had a dispute over payments with Rajan and established his own gang, somewhere in Cambodia.
Uttar Pradesh-based gangster Babloo Srivastava, presently lodged in Bareilly Central Jail, also had close links with Lakdawala. Both were involved in several cases of extortion across India.
Underworld don Ejaz Lakdawala's daughter Soniya Lakdawala was also looking after the gangs' monetary operations, sources said.
A fake passport, used by Soniya to flee from India, was instrumental in the nabbing of Ejaz Lakdawala.
To hide Lakdawala's identity, Soniya deliberately used a different name. Sources said that Soniya changed her name to Shifa Shaikh, after her wedding to one Shahid Shaikh from Mumbai. Her name before her wedding, as per her passport, was Soniya Advani.
The father's name mentioned in the same passport was Manish Advani while her mother's name was mentioned as Rekha Advani.
Mumbai Police said that at a later stage, to verify certain information, daughter and father would be confronted during interrogation.
The Intelligence reports suggest that D-Company is planning to kill Ejaz Lakdawala once he is lodged in jail.
(IANS)
These sensational revelations have come in the high-profile ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria's book "Let Me Say It Now", released here on Monday.
According to Maria, the LeT wanted him to be killed as a Bengaluru resident "Samir Dinesh Chaudhari", with a red thread tied around his wrist to portray the attack as a case of "Hindu Terror".
However, that plan did not work out and the police nabbed Ajmal Amir Kasab, who was from Faridkot in Pakistan.
The attacks were originally planned for September 27, 2008, which was the 27th day of Ramadan fasting, but for reasons Maria has not specified, it was postponed to finally happen after two months, on November 26 that year.
Maria also revealed that the fugitive mafia don, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar -- who is a wanted accused in the March 1993 Mumbai serial attacks -- had ironically been assigned the task of killing Kasab with the help of LeT and Pakistan's ISI. This would ostensibly erase the only living evidence of their heinous act.
Both the cases (1993 and 2008) were investigated by the former Mumbai ex-top cop.
Accordingly, Maria said it became his "first priority" to ensure Kasab's safety, particularly in view of perceptible anger and hostility among the Mumbai Police personnel, besides the external threats.
The Mumbai policemen's angst stemmed from the fact that around 16 Mumbai Police personnel, besides at least two NSG commandos were killed in the 60-hour terror operation at 11 locations in barely a five-square km area of south Mumbai in 2008, plus the 150 civilian casualties including around 26 foreigners.
Citing earlier reports that the 26/11 attackers carried fake identity cards of Hyderabad's Arunodaya College, he said that similar fraudulent ICard was planned even for Kasab.
Kasab and his friend Muzaffar Lal Khan had joined LeT for robberies to improve their financial well being, get weapons and training to achieve this, and had nothing to with 'jihad' (holy crusade), Maria says in the book.
After Kasab's arrest, Maria who had interrogated him said he (Kasab) believed that Muslims were barred from offering 'namaaz' and mosques were locked up in India.
To clear his misconceptions, Maria instructed Ramesh Mahale, one of the investigating team members, to take him to a mosque near Metro Cinema in a vehicle.
Witnessing the 'namaaz' in progress with his eyes, Kasab was quite bewildered as he even considered the daily five times 'azaan' (call to prayer for the Muslim faithful) -- which he could hear in the police lockup -- as a figment of his imagination.
During his several days of interrogation of Kasab after arrest, Maria said he acquired a deep insight into the psyche of terrorists' operations, and the daily interactions forged a sort of bond between them, with Kasab soon addressing him respectfully as 'Janab' (Sir).
Kasab, 25, underwent a full trial in Indian courts and was finally hanged secretly in Pune's Yerawada Central Jail on November 21, 2012 and buried at an unknown location.
(IANS)
Speaking from an undisclosed location over phone, Anees told IANS that though coronavirus is a dreaded epidemic, his brother Dawood and the entire family was not affected by it and are putting up at their home. In a rare conversation, the mafia don also admitted of running the business in the UAE and Pakistan.
Intelligence reports had earlier said that Dawood and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus. The reports also revealed that his personal staff and guards have been quarantined.
Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, patronised by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is believed to be residing in Karachi and is accused in several cases of cross border crimes including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. For years, Islamabad has repeatedly denied Dawood and his family's presence in Pakistan.
D-company's sharpshooter and in-charge of extortion and betting syndicate, Chhota Shakeel, also resides in Karachi.
"Bhai (Dawood) is fine and Shakeel is also fine. No one has tested positive for coronavirus. No one from our family is admitted in the hospital," said Anees, who chose to be silent when asked about his current location.
Settled in Pakistan since 1994, Dawood's family in Karachi also includes his daughter Mahrukh, who is married to the son of former Pakistan star cricketer, Javed Miandad.
D-company's strategist Anees has been in news since early 1990s when he reportedly got a vehicle loaded with arms parked in filmstar Sanjay Dutt's residence in Mumbai. He was also accused of funding Bollywood films and running betting syndicates in cricket from his base in Dubai. A couple of years ago, he was reportedly detained in Saudi Arabia but managed to escape from Indian agencies' dragnet.
In the brief telephonic conversation, Anees admitted that the D-company runs businesses through Pakistan and Dubai. Asked about running luxury hotels in UAE and having big construction projects in Pakistan and other countries, Anees did not deny and said: "To kya karte (then why should we not do it?)." He also admitted that D-company runs transport business too.
Intelligence dossier submitted by the Indian government to various international agencies including the UN and Interpol reveals that D-company has a major transport business running across Karachi airport to Afghanistan. The truckers employed by D-company also help the don in the trafficking of contraband heroin through a well-oiled chain of carriers on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Of late, Dawood and his brother have also invested in hotel and resorts business in Pakistan and the UAE. The don also owns several malls in Sindh province, besides a paper mill in Kotri, near Hyderabad (Pakistan).
Though IANS authenticates its telephonic conversation with Anees Ibrahim, the news agency has no independent sources in Karachi to deny or confirm Dawood and his wife's admission in a Pakistan Army hospital due to coronavirus.
(IANS)
More On Underworld Fugitive Don Dawood Ibrahim :
’26/11 Attacks Were Planned For 27/9; Dawood Assigned To Kill Kasab’
Dawood Has Large Base In Nepal, Operates Through Pak Officials: Lakdawala
But what was discussed widely more than three decades ago was Dawood’s connection with Bollywood stars. His linkup with actresses like Mandakini and Anita Ayub was also one of the much-discussed topics in those days.
Rumours indicated that due to his hold over the underworld, these stars from the Indian film industry could never say no to him and attended and performed at parties and functions to please the Don. But there was one actor who refused to take favours from him and that was none other than late Rishi Kapoor.
Dawood Wanted To Befriend Rishiji, But The Actor Refused Politely
Rishi Kapoor is known for speaking his mind out and never feared anyone. Rather he was one of the bold celebrities on Twitter who did not mince words when it came to expressing his opinions or commenting on someone. In his biopic Khullam Khulla, Rishi has written two incidences when he had the chance to meet Dawood Ibrahim. During one of the incidence, the Karz actor was in Dubai to be a part of the Asha Bhosle-RD Burman night and was approached by a Dawood aid at the airport.
The man immediately called his boss and told Rishiji that Dawood would like to talk to him. The Don invited him to his place in Dubai and sent for a Rolls Royce for picking him and his friend. The head of mafia then entertained Rishiji with his exploits and even offered to serve tea and biscuits or alcohol. During this same meeting, Dawood admitted that he had killed a man in Mumbai court and its story became the base of Sunny Deol starrer Arjun in 1985.
At the end of this meeting, Dawood said, "If you need anything at all, any money, anything, just feel free to ask me." But the actor declined. The next time Rishi Kapoor met Dawood Ibrahim was when he was shopping with wife Neetu for shoes at a Lebanese store. Surrounded by around 10 bodyguards, yet again Dawood approached Rishi Kapoor and offered to buy him something but the actor declined even the second time.
In the days when big stars like Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan were reportedly seen with Dawood or his relatives and big names like Gulshan Kumar got shot for refusing him, Rishi Kapoor’s stand was quite courageous. Even his close friend Rakesh Roshan was attacked after he refused to give in to the demands of the mafia.
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Dawood Ibrahim Team Planned Sushant’s Murder?
According to Sood, even though the infamous don does not live in Mumbai anymore he continues to hold clout over the economical capital of India. Either by muscle power, money, or through his close connections with people at top positions Dawood continues to control the Maharashtra capital. That is why Sood claims that there is a strong chance that Sushant was murdered by a Dawood aid. In his video, the ex-RAW agent says that Sushant was getting threats since the last few months which is why he changed his SIM almost 50 times.
The actor even slept in a remote place in his car because he was afraid that someone might kill him. Sood believes that the entire murder has been committed by professionals. From shutting off CCTV cameras just a day before the Dil Bechara actor’s death to the missing duplicate key, there are so many evidences that show someone had cleverly planned his murder, says Sood.
The ex-officer has claimed that Mumbai police are aggressively pursuing the investigation but the real culprit doesn't need to be exposed because many times such actions are taken even to protect big names. Sood has alleged that Bollywood and Dawood Ibrahim continue to have a connection.
Sood says, “Many B-town celebrities participate in the events organized by Dawood’s team abroad, and help the gangsters earn money which is used for funding ISI. The celebrities also receive huge money in return.”
https://youtu.be/zymzzxW2dJM
Sood Claims Sandeep Ssingh Betrayed Sushant Singh Rajput
The ex-RAW agent says that even though the servant of Sushant may not be the actual murderer he must know everything that was happening in the Kai Poche actor’s life. Similarly, Sood also claims that Sushant’s close friend Sandeep Ssingh who shadowed him constantly was the one who shared all the information and updates on the actor’s life to those who wanted to pull down the actor. The officer has also taken the name of Karan Johar and Salman Khan but has not said anything clearly.
Talking on Rhea Chakraborty’s involvement in the alleged murder of the actor, Sood said that she is not directly involved in it but is frightened and was aware of what was happening with Sushant. That is why she left the actor all alone on Mukesh Bhatt’s call when her boyfriend needed her the most.
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Anees Ibrahim’s close aide Kailash Rajput, a high profile drug operator based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is already on the wanted list of Mumbai Police and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), for smuggling drugs from India, highly placed sources told IANS on Tuesday.
Sources said Anees Ibrahim’s linkages with a drug syndicate operating in South Mumbai came to light when his aide Arif Bhujwala was arrested by the NCB earlier this year from Raigarh in Maharashtra.
“During questioning of Arif Bhujwala, it was revealed that he was in touch with Kailash Rajput, an alleged financier of Anees Ibrahim, who also looks after the D-company’s drug operation in Europe. Kailash Rajput’s location has been traced in Dubai by our agencies,” said an officer associated with investigations.
Based on specific inputs of intelligence agencies, the NCB has been trailing D-company’s drug operators in India. The Bureau hit the jackpot when its sleuths busted a drug factory in South Mumbai, reportedly run by Dawood’s aide Chinku Pathan in the third week of January this year. After Pathan’s questioning, the sleuths arrested key drug operator Arif Bhujwala, linked with Anees Ibrahim. Bhujwala disclosed that he had earlier visited Dubai, where he met Anees Ibrahim’s financier Kailash Rajput.
A report of Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police reveals that Kailash Rajput has links with Mexican cartel and had been involved in smuggling huge consignments of drugs like Phenethyl-4-Piperidone and Fentanyl from India.
The report says that in 2019, a rice exporter was interrogated by the ANC who later revealed that during a holiday trip to Dubai in November 2018, he was introduced to Kailash Rajput. Through this exporter, Kailash Rajput tried to smuggle a shipment of drugs from Mumbai, which was to be pushed to Mexico.
Dossier on Kailash Rajput says that he fled to Dubai in 2014 and later came into contact with Anees Ibrahim, who is currently based in Karachi.
A major shift in D-company, sources said, is that earlier such underworld operations were directly looked at by Chhota Shakeel.
But recently Anees Ibrahim, who handles the finance of D-company, also looks after drug operations.
Sources said Anees Ibrahim’s operatives are also based in Germany, Netherlands and Britain, who look after the lucrative drug deals of D-company.
Earlier Dawood’s right hand man, Iqbal Mirchi was reportedly incharge of Dawood’s drug operations in Europe.
The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The government issued two notifications on August 18 announcing sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar, and underworld don Ibrahim.
Read Story: ’26/11 Attacks Were Planned For 27/9; Dawood Assigned To Kill Kasab’
Ibrahim, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, has emerged as India's most wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
The Pakistan government has proscribed 88 leaders and members of terrorist groups, in compliance with the new list issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently, Pakistani daily The News reported.
The notifications announced sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), JeM, Taliban, Daesh, Haqqani Group, al-Qaeda, and others.
The government ordered the seizure of all movable and immovable properties of these outfits and individuals, and freezing of their bank accounts, the report said.
These terrorists have been barred from transferring money through financial institutions, purchasing of arms and travelling abroad, it said.
The notifications ratified a complete ban on all leaders and members of defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hiding in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas.
The paper reported that Saeed, Azhar, Mullah Fazlullah (alias Mullah Radio), Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Muhammad Yahya Mujahid, Abdul Hakeem Murad, wanted by Interpol, Noor Wali Mehsud, Fazal Raheem Shah of Uzbekistan Liberation Movement, Taliban leaders Jalaluddin Haqqani, Khalil Ahmad Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, and Ibrahim and his associates were on the list.
The notifications said that leadership of the defunct TTP, and other organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba, JeM, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tariq Geedar group of TTP, Harkatul Mujahideen, Al Rasheed Trust, Al Akhtar Trust, Tanzim Jaish-al Mohajireen Ansar, Jamaat-ul Ahrar, Tanzim Khutba Imam Bukhari, Rabita Trust Lahore, Revival of Islamic Heritage Society of Pakistan, Al-Haramain Foundation Islamabad, Harkat Jihad Al Islami, Islami Jihad Group, Uzbekistan Islami Tehreek, Daesh of Iraq, Emirates of Tanzim Qafqaz working against Russia, and Abdul Haq of Uyghurs of Islamic Freedom Movement of China have been banned.
Though various sanctions were in place against almost all of those listed by the UNSC, the government through the new notifications consolidated and documented the previously announced measures, the report said.
The UNSC Sanctions Committee deals with sanctions on entities and individuals declared as terrorists. All states, including Pakistan, are bound to implement the sanctions which include assets freeze, an arms embargo, and travel ban.
It is believed that the latest move by the Pakistan government is part of its efforts to wriggle out of the grey list of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF.
On August 12, Pakistan Parliament's lower house passed four bills related to the tough conditions set by the FATF after the government and the Opposition reached a consensus.
The legislation was part of the efforts by Pakistan to move from the FATF's grey list to the white list.
In its third and final plenary held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June, the FATF decided to keep Pakistan in the "grey list" as Islamabad failed to check the flow of money to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The plenary was held under the Chinese Presidency of Xiangmin Liu.
With Pakistan's continuation in the 'grey list', it will be difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, ADB, and the European Union, thus further enhancing problems for the nation which is in a precarious financial situation.
Also Read: Masood Azhar declared global terrorist by UNSC
If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, there is every possibility that the global body may put the country in the 'Black List' along with North Korea and Iran.
The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations - the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council.
(PTI)
Following the seizure of over 4 kg of brown sugar, Abhay informed that one person has been arrested under Jaleswar Police Station limits on Odisha-West Bengal border last night. The top cop said the Special Task Force (STF) of Crime Branch has done a commendable job as far as busting illegal brown sugar racket is concerned in the State. STF has seized over 20 kgs of brown sugar this year so far which is highest compared to the cumulative total seized by all departments of Odisha Police.
According to the DGP, the ongoing probe has revealed that bulk of the brown sugar smuggled into the State comes from West Bengal which seems to be a transit point. A further probe is needed to establish the source of such narcotics.
“We have not come across any links of Dawood Ibrahim in drugs trade so far. However, we have identified the route from where brown sugar enters Odisha. From our probe, it has been ascertained that a substantial amount of brown sugar comes via one route i.e. West Bengal which is a transit point,” said Abhay.
Also Read: Huge Drug Bust In Bhubaneswar: 4.5 Kg Brown Sugar Seized By Odisha Crime Branch STF
The top Odisha cop admitted that unfortunately the weed (ganja) seized in the State is grown locally or on Andhra Pradesh border.
However, a massive drive is underway in Odisha to put a check on illegal ganja trade, Abhay said.
“In current year, we have seized over 630 quintals of ganja which is highest so far in comparison to last year (618 quintals) and 2018 (523 quintals),” Abhay added.
Today's brown sugar seizure comes a day after a controversy surfaced regarding a purported chat between Rhea Chakraborty and one of her friends over the availability of drugs in Bhubaneswar.
Also Read: Rhea Chakraborty’s Chat On Weed Found In Bhubaneswar: Odisha DGP Reacts
The caller, whose identity is not clear, reportedly called up at least twice on the landlines of "Matoshri" - the CM's private residence in Bandra east - on Saturday and said he wanted to speak to Thackeray, said Transport Minister Anil Parab.
"We have immediately informed the Mumbai Police to do whatever is necessary in the matter. The police will verify the antecedents of the caller and take whatever measures necessary for the safety and security of the CM," he told media persons this evening.
However, Parab categorically refuted reports in some sections that the caller allegedly issued threats to blow up the CM's residence, saying that there was no such thing.
Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that the government has taken strong note of the development and the CID has been directed to look into the matter which has come up on the eve of the Monsoon Session of Maharashtra Legislature starting here on Monday.
Meanwhile, leaders of the ruling coalition - the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress - including Eknath Shinde, Parab, Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan, besides Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and others have reacted strongly to the incident and said the government will not be cowed down by any such threats to the CM.
All leaders have expressed full support to Thackeray while Pednekar said Shiv Sainiks will be ready to deploy their own ring of security around "Matoshri" if needed.
Taking serious note of the incident, the Mumbai Police have beefed up security around the Thackeray home as well as the Vidhan Bhavan complex at Nariman Point as a precaution
(IANS)
Jabir, involved in drug trafficking and handling of international financial deals of Dawood Ibrahim, has been detained in London since 2018 on the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Jabir would now be freed from a London prison, as per the reports of a prominent Pakistan TV channel, which spoke to the lawyers of Dawood’s aide.
For Indian intelligence agencies, the US move to drop the extradition request against the D-Company-aide has come as a surprise.
“Until we see the court order, it would not be appropriate to comment on this issue. The US, particularly the FBI officials, had gathered strong evidence against Dawood’s key operative for years. Of late, if the US has withdrawn the extradition process against D-Company, it appears to be an unusual step at least against a dreaded underworld syndicate involved in drugs and terror related crimes,” said an IPS officer holding senior rank in the Indian security agencies.
IANS had earlier reported that the officials of the Pakistan High Commission in London were supporting Jabir Motiwala’s case in a bid to thwart the extradition process which had the potential to expose D-Company’s nexus with Pakistani agencies in a US court.
Businessman-turned-underworld operative, Jabir Motiwala, a Pakistani national also known as Jabir Siddiq, had earlier appealed against his extradition order in the High Court of London and was awaiting judgment when the extradition request was reportedly withdrawn by the US authorities.
The US extradition request in the British court had revealed that Jabir Motiwala reported directly to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is a designated global terrorist and is wanted in the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai.
While security agencies of both India and Pakistan were awaiting the judgement of the high court on Motiwala’s extradition, the eleventh hour decision of the US on withdrawing the extradition process was not expected by many.
Earlier, a section of Pakistani media had said that Motiwala, who hails from a well-to-do family in Karachi, is being framed by the US law enforcing agencies in connection with drugs operations.
On the other hand, the US agencies had initially provided documentary evidence of drug dealing and handling the finance of D-Company, including tapes, against Motiwala in the court.
Pakistani diplomats had earlier tried to thwart the extradition move by submitting a letter on behalf of the accused’s lawyer in the Magistrate’s court, saying Motiwala was a “well known respected businessman in Pakistan”.
In fact, Pakistani diplomats feared that once Motiwala is extradited to the US, the close aide of D-Company could reveal the entire nexus between Dawood Ibrahim’s underworld network (being operated from Karachi) and the don’s connection with Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
The US had already declared Dawood Ibrahim a global terrorist running an international drug syndicate and sharing the gang’s routes with Pakistan-based terror outfits. In August 2018, Motiwala was produced before the Magistrates court in London after his arrest by the Scotland Yard Extradition Unit on charges of money laundering and sharing the proceeds of narcotics money earned on behalf of the D-Company.
Sources said that Barrister John Hardy, appearing on behalf of the US government, had earlier revealed to the Magistrate’s court that Motiwala travelled extensively and conducted (underworld crimes related) meetings for his boss Dawood Ibrahim.
The successful bidders include lawyer Ajay Shrivastava and Supreme Court advocate Bhupendra Bhardwaj in the scheduled online, offline and sealed tender auction held here.
A majority of the properties are mostly small constructions - some in a bad shape - on plots of land, situated in Mumbake village in Khed sub-district of Ratnagiri, from where the Kaskar family hailed.
The competent authority under SAFEMA had planned to auction off all 13 seized properties of the fugitive don early this year, but the plans were postponed in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
Besides, two flats in Mumbai belonging to Iqbal Memon alias Iqbal Mirchi, a former key aide of Dawood, are also being auctioned simultaneously. Details are awaited.
(IANS)
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Gujranwala issued the warrant during a hearing in a terror financing case instituted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police against some members of the JeM.
"ATC Gujranwala judge Natasha Naseem Supra issued an arrest warrant for Masood Azhar and directed the CTD to arrest him and present him in the court. The CTD told the judge the JeM chief was involved in terror financing and selling jihadi literature," an official told PTI.
He said the ATC judge issued the arrest warrant for Azhar on the request of a CTD inspector.
Earlier, Islamabad claimed Masood Azhar's disappearance. Pakistani diplomats also told the global anti-terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that Pakistan couldn't take action against Masood Azhar as he was missing. Indian officials had then rebutted Pakistan, pointing that he was still holed up in his bomb-proof house behind the terror group’s Bahawalpur headquarters at Markaz-e-Usman-o-Ali, Railway Link Road, in Pakistan.
Azhar is believed to be hiding in a "safe place" in his native town Bahawalpur.
Following the Palwama terror attack in February 2019 in India, Pakistan's Punjab province police had launched a crackdown on terrorism financing and in this connection arrested six activists of the JeM in Gujranwala, some 130kms from Lahore.
The CTD said its teams raided the whereabouts of the JeM's "safe house" and arrested its members -- Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Amir, Allah Ditta, Muhammad Iftikhar, Muhammad Ajmal and Muhammad Bilal Makki -- and recovered lakhs of rupees from their possession.
"The suspects were collecting funds to finance activities of JeM. The chargesheet against them has been submitted to the Anti-Terrorism Court Gujranwala and they are being interrogated, the CTD said.
Following immense international pressure after the Pulwama attack, the Pakistan government had arrested over 100 members of banned militant outfits including the JeM chief's son and brother. The government also took control of the JeM, Mumbai terror attack mastermind Haifiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawah (uD) and Falahai Insaniat Foundation (FIF) properties including seminaries and mosques across the country.
JeM had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.
Pakistan's Punjab government claimed to have taken over the administrative control of the JeM headquarters - comprising Madressatul Sabir and Jama-e-Masjid Subhanallah in Bahawalpur.
According to the government, some 600 students are studying there and none of them is associated with any banned outfit or involved in any terror activity.
In May 2019, the United Nations designated Azhar a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the Pakistan-based JeM chief, a decade after New Delhi approached the world body for the first time on the issue.
The UN committee listed Azhar on May 1, 2019 as being associated with Al-Qaeda for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of", "supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material to", "recruiting for", "otherwise supporting acts or activities of", and "other acts or activities indicating association with" the JeM.
Azhar is a fugitive released by India in exchange of passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814 in 1999.
After his release in 1999, Azhar formed the Jaish-e-Mohammed and scripted many audacious terror strikes in India.
On February 26, 2019 India had launched air strikes on what was said to be JeM's biggest training camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
The global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is instrumental in pushing Pakistan to take measures against terrorists roaming freely in Pakistan and using its territory to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere.
The FATF kept Islamabad in its ‘grey list’ that continued to make it difficult for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government to get financial aid from international lending agencies such as the IMF. As he faces the most serious challenge from a combined opposition that has been mobilising public opinion against him, Pakistan watchers say that Imran Khan’s best chance to hold power is to get the economy back on rails to ensure that the opposition campaign doesn’t find traction with the people. By most accounts, it isn’t easy.
It is in this context that Indian officials believe that pressure is mounting to take steps against Dawood Ibrahim, once the Mumbai don who crossed the line when he plotted the March 1993 bombings in the city before fleeing the country.
Dawood Ibrahim has been living in Karachi from where he has controlled South Asia’s biggest crime syndicate for most of the last two decades. Islamabad has all along claimed that Dawood Ibrahim was not in Pakistan despite documentary evidence produced by India that places him in Karachi.
Indian officials said action against Dawood Ibrahim would be the acid test for the Imran Khan government’s efforts to project that it was serious on acting against terrorism. Dawood Ibrahim is well-entrenched in Pakistan’s power circuit. In 2005, Dawood - also designated as a global terrorist by the UNSC and US - married off his daughter Mahrukh to Junaid Miandad, son of former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad.
(With Inputs From M Zulqernain/PTI)
An NCB official related to the probe, requesting anonymity told IANS, "Chinku Pathan, who was nabbed by the NCB yesterday is the grandson of Lala, who was the mentor of Dawood Ibrahim."
The official said that Lala was the original underworld don of Mumbai.
"This cartel was basically being run by the Pathani gang and they were also having relations with the Dawood gang," he said.
The official said the drug law enforcement agency recovered cash to the tune of Rs one crore, huge amount of drugs at the factory which the agency busted and also recovered some weapons.
The official said that Singhu Pathan's partner Aarif Bujhwala is the biggest supplier of drugs in Maharashtra.
(IANS)