E-Paper
NIA attaches property of Arif Shaikh, key accused in 2022 D-company case
The NIA has attached a residential property of a key accused in a terror funding case related to Dawood Ibrahim, under the UAPA.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached a residential property of one of the key accused in a terror funding case related to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The accused, Arif Abubakar Shaikh alias Arif Bhaijaan, was arrested last year in connection with the terror funding case registered against Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and some of his close aides, including Chhota Shakeel.
The NIA, in a statement, said that the residential property of Arif Shaikh, located in the Thane district of Maharashtra, has been attached as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ under section 25 (1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
Apart from Dawood Ibrahim and Chota Shakeel, the NIA has already filed a chargesheet against Arif Abubakar Shaikh, his brother Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh aka Shabbir Takla, and Mohammad Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit under the relevant sections of the UAPA and IPC in the case.
In March, a special MCOCA court rejected the bail plea of Arif Shaikh observing that evidence produced by the NIA shows that he is a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang (D-Company).
While rejecting the bail plea, special MCOCA judge BD Shelke said that the evidence placed on record by the NIA shows Arif Shaikh collected, and raised terror funds by way of threatening and extortion of huge amounts of money from various individuals for D-Company.
"The materials placed on record also prima-facie shows that this accused has received huge amounts of money through hawala from the wanted accused,” Shelke said.
“The witness specifically stated that on directions of Chhota Shakeel, accused number one used to search disputed properties wherein intervention is required for settlement between the parties. They used to threaten the persons putting them in fear of death or grievous hurt and forcibly made them withdraw pending litigations and execute disputed transactions. For the said work, they either extort huge money or take a stake in the property,” the court observed.
