New Delhi, April 12: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said that it has attached immovable asset worth Rs 55 lakh belonging to one Mumtaz Ezaz Shaikh, a close aide of Iqbal Kaskar, brother of Underworld Gangster Dawood Ibrahim, in connection with a prevention of money laundering case involving extortion.

The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered against Iqbal Kaskar, Mumtaz Shaikh and Israr Ali Jamil Saiyad for extortion under various sections of IPC.

The police also filed a charge sheet in this matter in 2017 under section 3(i)(ii), 3(2), 3(4) and 3(5) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, read with section 384, 386, 387, 34 and 120B of the IPC. Maharashtra Govt Sets Up SIT To Probe Corruption Charges Against Enforcement Directorate.

During the investigation, the ED found that the complainant Suresh Devichand Mehta, a real estate builder and developer, was running the business of construction with his partner through his firm Darshan enterprises. Kaskar, Shaikh and Saiyad due to close proximity with underworld Gangster Dawood Ibrahim managed to extort one flat in Thane in the name of Shaikh.

Besides the aforesaid flat, four cheques of Rs 10 lakh as demanded by them were issued by the builder which had been encashed by the accused. These accounts were operated only for withdrawing the cash amount of Rs 10 lakh and no other transactions were carried out in these accounts. These accounts were operated to hide the end user, the real user of the extorted amounts.

"It is also revealed that the accused persons extorted cash amounts from Suresh Devichand Mehta during that period. On February 18, 2022 Kaskar was arrested for his involvement in the offence of money laundering and is presently under judicial custody. Proceeds of Crime in the form of a flat at Thane was in the name of Shaikh. It has been attached," said the ED official.

Further investigation in the matter was underway.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 12, 2022 04:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).