NIA invokes MCOCA against Salim Fruit, others

The federal agency wrote to the special court informing about its decision after the senior authorities granted sanction for the same.

Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had last week invoked charges under stringent provisions of MCOCA against fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, his brother Anees and Chhota Shakeel and some other members of the gang, including Salim Qureshi aka Salim Fruit.

NIA has also sought extension of ninety days to file charge-sheet in the case against the accused. The plea will be heard by the special NIA court on October 19. (HT PHOTO)

The federal agency wrote to the special court informing about its decision after the senior authorities granted sanction for the same. The provisions of MCOCA will allow the prosecuting agency to rely on the confessional statement given by the accused to the senior police official, as evidence in the case.

NIA has also sought extension of ninety days to file charge-sheet in the case against the accused. The plea will be heard by the special NIA court on October 19.

The federal agency had on February 3 registered a case against fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, his brother Anees and Chhota Shakeel among others for their alleged involvement in arms smuggling, narco-terrorism, money laundering, circulation of fake Indian currency notes and unauthorised possession or involvement in acquisition of assets for raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaeda.

On May 12, the agency had arrested two accused, Arif Abubaker Shaikh and Shabbir Abubaker Shaikh, in connection with the case. Fruit was arrested in August on allegations that he took over the gang’s business after the death of Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar.