MCOCA invoked against Kaskar in extortion case

Mumbai: Almost a fortnight after the arrest of Rizwan Kaskar, the nephew of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, the Mumbai crime branch has invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) in the extortion case. The Act was added in the case, as at least three chargesheets had been filed against the accused, Fahim Machmach and Chhota Shakeel, in the last 10 years.

The Mumbai crime branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) arrested Ahmed Wadharia, Rizwan Iqbal Kaskar and Ashfaq Towelwalla and booked them in an extortion case on July 15. The investigation revealed that the accused were acting at the behest of Shakeel and Machmach and were trying to extort by mediating and trying to settle a monetary dispute.

The crime branch officials found that Mach-mach and Shakeel were in contact with Kaskar and they shared multiple calls. Based on the fact of their involvement in the case, the police have invoked MCOCA.

“We have added the new sections as per the MCOCA in the case, which was filed on July 15. The accused have been to further police custody and investigation is underway in the case,” said Pranay Ashok, Mumbai police spokesperson.

Officials said that the Pydhonie police station registered a case after the complainant approached them alleging that Towel-walla (who was his business partner till three ye-ars ago) was threatening and extorting with the help of other accused. The duo used to import electronic articles from Dubai and China and sell them in India.

The complainant stated that Towelwalla owed Rs 15.5 lakh to him and didn’t return the money despite repeated demands. On the other hand, the complainant received a phone call on June 12 from a foreign number and the caller told him he was Fahim Machmach, a Dawood gang-member.

He allegedly threatened him asking him not to demand his money from Wagharia or Towelwalla.