Custody of Iqbal Kaskar, 3 others extended
Police claimed for their custody under the stringent MCOCA.
Mumbai: A special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court in Thane on Wednesday remanded Iqbal Kaskar, brother of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, and three of his aides to Thane police’s custody till November 4 in connection with the first of the three extortion cases.
While the police claimed for their custody under the stringent MCOCA, the defence lawyer stated that the police was dragging the case and there was no development in the investigation.
Their custody was sought in connection with a case registered by a property developer for extortion of four residential flats and Rs 30 lakh, with the Kasarvadavli police station on September 17.
Kaskar along with Asrarali Sayyad, Mumtaj Shaikh and matka operator Pankaj Gangar were in judicial custody after the anti-extortion cell (AEC) of Thane crime branch invoked MCOCA against them.
When they were produced before the MCOCA court on Wednesday, the public prosecutor Sangeeta Phad sought 14 days police custody for them.
“The police is probing several angles including the international network of D-gang, procurement of arms and arranging shooters for the purpose of committing extortion, which requires their custody for questioning,” Phad told the MCOCA court.
The defence counsel, however, opposed the proposition and stated that the police is dragging on the case and naming those who are in other countries under the pretext of investigation.
“The remand report states nothing new since they sought custody of all the accused persons for the first time. Whenever anything happens, they drag Dawood’s name into it. Will any police officer go to Pakistan to investigate the charges?,” stated Shyam Keswani, Kaskar’s lawyer.
The police defended their stand and produced documents including call detail records (CDR) of Gangar and the details of the international calls that were made and received.
“All of them are part of the racket and there is ample evidence for proving the same. Gangar was also in contact with Dawood’s henchmen and was in touch with Kaskar and other accused persons too,” added Phad.