Chhota Shakeel’s brother-in-law booked in fresh extortion case

Mumbai: An extortion case has been registered against Arif Abubakar Shaikh, brother-in-law of gangster Chhota Shakeel

Mumbai: An extortion case has been registered against Arif Abubakar Shaikh, brother-in-law of gangster Chhota Shakeel.

Chhota Shakeel’s brother-in-law booked in fresh extortion case

59-year-old Shaikh, also known as Arif Bhaijaan is already under arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the terror funding case against fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and some of his close associates.

Bhaijan, who was deported from Dubai to India in 2006, has been booked by the Dongri police for extortion, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. The case has been transferred to the Mumbai crime branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC), which specialises in extortion cases related to the underworld.

Based on a complaint filed by a 46-year-old Dongri resident, who deals in land and also has a shop selling antiques, the case was registered against Bhaijan.

“The complainant had purchased a 5-acre land parcel in Mira Road in August, 2012 for ₹4 crore. He had also got possession of the land. However, later he learnt that the earlier owner had also sold the same land to one Ravi Group owned by one Jayesh Shah,” said a police officer from Dongri police station.

“The agent then introduced him to Arif Abubakhar Shaikh alias Arif Bhaijan. The complainant knew that Bhaijan was the brother-in-law of Shakeel. Later he was told that he should pay Shah ₹5 crore and also hand him over 50,000 square-feet saleable area to settle the matter with him. He was told that Shah had financial transactions with Haji Sahab and Ravi Group was related to Haji Sahab,” said a police officer.

When the complainant refused to pay the money and provide the saleable area, he was threatened that they would kill his family members.

“The complainant told the police that after the National Investigation Agency arrested Bhaijaan in May, 2022 after which he gathered the courage to lodge a complaint against him,” said the police officer.

Shaikh alias Bhaijaan, who purportedly looks after the business interests of Chhota Shakeel in Mumbai, has been lodged in a high-security cell in Arthur Road jail. The agency had alleged that Bhaijaan was allegedly involved in handling of Dawood gang’s illegal activities and narco-terror financing in the city, especially in western suburbs.