Fresh FIRs against Dawood, kin soon

New Delhi: In a bid to put more pressure on fugitive underworld gangster Kaskar Dawood Ibrahim, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is all set to register fresh FIRs against him and his brothers Anees Ibrahim and Iqbal Kaskar in an extortion case of '3 crore from a prominent Mumbai builder.

According to sources, the agency sleuths are in touch with the Maharashtra police in this connection.

“There are allegations that Kaskar and his associates had been threatening a prominent builder in Thane in Dawood’s name since 2013 and extorted '30 lakh and four flats from him,” said a source. Dawood is currently on the wanted list of Interpol for organised crime and counterfeiting. The UK government recently seized properties belonging to Dawood. The assets, which were seized, included his properties in Midlands.

The Thane police recently registered an offence of extortion on the complaint of a builder against Kaskar and other members of Dawood’s gang. “During the investigation by Maharashtra police, the alleged role of Dawood and Anees also came to light, following which both were also booked in the case. Now the ED has also decided to register fresh FIRs against Dawood and others on the basis of Maharashtra police’s fresh case,” sources said.

In all, three FIRs have been recently registered by the Maharashtra police against Dawood and his gang members. Kaskar and his two aides, Mumtaz Sheikh and Israr Ali Jamil Sayyad, were arrested on September 18 by the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of Thane police in an extortion case. They had also been booked, following another complaint of extortion lodged by a Thane-based jeweller.

The Interpol has already issued a Red-Corner Notice (RCN) against Dawood. It is believed that the fugitive gangster’s total assets are worth $6.7 billion. Dawood is the main accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, in which around 260 people were killed. He fled the country after the bombings and is believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

The CBI, the Interpol in India have already provided Dawood’s address — House No 37, 30th Street, Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, as his permanent address in Pakistan to the Interpol. Besides, a palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad in Karachi and a property at Margalla Road F-6/2, street No. 22, house number 29, in the same city, have already been provided as other addresses of the underworld don.