Police summon Iqbal Kaskar's aide for questioning

Mumbai: The Thane Crime Branch on Friday summoned a close aide of Iqbal Kaskar, brother of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim for questioning in the extortion cases registered last week.

The police said that Pankaj Gangar, the fourth accused arrested in the extortion cases, allegedly gave a statement to them accepting payments made by him to the Dawood Ibrahim gang.

Gangar, a matka (gambling) operator, has told the police in his statement that he was paying the gang Rs 15 lakh per month and was funding for the arms for their hit men.

The latest detained aide was identified as Aslam Lakdawala, who is stated to be a partner of Kaskar in some ‘business activities’ since he was released from jail in 2007. “We summoned him for questioning based on the inputs we have received. We have not arrested him. We are gathering information on Lakdawala's past criminal record,” said an officer of Thane crime branch.

Lakdawala is suspected to be a front in the business of construction and redevelopment that Kaskar handled on behalf of the D-gang in Mumbai and surrounding areas. Lakdawala stays at Gordon Apartment in Nagpada, where Haseena Parkar stayed. He was close to Kaskar and the Parkar family. “We want to know what brought him so close to Kaskar and what would they discuss during their meetings,” said a Thane crime branch officer.

After Kaskar was extradited to India in 2003, Lakdawala helped Kaskar to find properties in Mumbai that needed development or redevelopment. Police said that Lakdawala is into construction and redevelopment of old properties. There are no documents to suggest on paper association or partnership between Kaskar and Lakdawala however they had been together since years.