Another extortion case filed against Chhota Shakeel

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch’s anti-extortion cell (AEC) has registered a fresh case of extortion against Chhota Shakeel, a close aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, for allegedly making extortion call to a Dadar-based property developer. The crime branch on Monday also invoked stringent MCOCA in the case.

The AEC has arrested four persons in the case, who collected Rs 5 lakh extortion money on behalf of the D-gang. Shakeel has been booked based on the statements of the accused, and a voice sample from the extortion call has been sent for forensic analysis. Shakeel’s past record of two chargesheets against him in the past ten years has led to invoking of the MCOCA, officials said.

Those arrested in the case include Bilal Shamsi, alleged close aide of Shakeel, Obaid Adil, Chand Shaikh and Noorani Khan. Officials said that the accused had threatened the Dadar-based developer over the period making him cough up money.

“The extortion bid began since October last year, and Shakeel allegedly made multiple calls on the businessman’s landline. We have a recording of one of the threat calls that has now been sent for forensic analysis to ascertain the identity,” said an officer.