After Dawood’s brother Iqbal Kaskar arrest, onus on politicians

Thane: Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh today said the investigation into the extortion racket carried out by Iqbal Kaskar and his team has so far indicated that politicians of the rank of corporators and above are also part of the racket and the police was further probing into their involvement, and will take appropriate steps later. In a press conference, the Thane Police Commissioner announced the arrest of Iqbal Kaskar ( the brother of dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim) by the officials of the anti-extortion cell (AEC) of the Crime Branch of Thane City Police last night.

He said that the Dawood men had become active in Thane and surrounding areas, including Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and the Thane Police had received several complaints of their extortion threats in the form of cash or kind (flats) and also land grabbing. An offence was registered with the Kasarwadawli Police Station under Wagle Estate Division where a builder was given threats since 2013 till 2016 by Kaskar and his men and they demanded four flats and a ransom of Rs 30-lakh. The extortionists took over one flat and got it registered in their name and to cap it all, one of the arrested accused still lives in it.

The other three, they made him sell and pay the proceeds as ransom. Each of the flat costs Rs 5-crore, he said. He also said that finally the builder whose name was given as Jain (when asked what is his full name, the CP said, why do you want the full name of the victim, you give the names of the accused instead) registered the complaint. Offences under sections 384,386,387 rw 34 of the IPC were registered and the officials of the AEC swung into action and arrested Kaskar, the PC said. 'When our officials went to the place, Kaskar was found at his sister Hasina Parkar's house, he was caught eating biryani and watching TV,' the officer said.

Also taken into custody were three others -- one of them was the relative of Hasina and the other dealt in drugs and also a third one. We are interrogating them,' he said. Prior to the arrest of Kaskar, the Thane Police also arrested two more persons -- one from Thane and another from Mumbra, he said. They had even exhorted money from a jeweller, and in one case in Navi Mumbai, a builder, who was pestered, got fed up and quit the place, he said. (UNI)