Ejaz’s cousin held for role in extortion

Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala’s cousin, Nadeem Lakdawala, 49, was arrested by the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on

Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala’s cousin, Nadeem Lakdawala, 49, was arrested by the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on his arrival from Saudi Arabia on Saturday, for his alleged role in the extortion case filed by a Bandra-based builder.

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This is the same case in which AEC had arrested Ejaz’s daughter Sonia on January 6, after she was granted bail in a fake passport case, suspecting that she provided the builder’s details to her father to make the extortion call.

“After Ejaz was arrested from Bihar on January 8, he confessed that it was his cousin Nadeem, who gave him the builder’s contact number and other details to make the extortion call. Crime branch then gave Sonia a clean chit in the case, “ said Santosh Rastogi, joint commissioner of police (crime branch).

Ejaz’s confession statement, recorded by Mumbai crime branch in second week of February, was submitted in a sealed envelope under section 169 to a local court which was forwarded to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court. The MCOCA court then sent the statement to the AEC to conduct a further inquiry in the case, added Rastogi.

Nadeem lives in Khar area and is into the construction business. He was Ejaz’s close aide for many years. Probe also revealed that Nadeem used to take commission from various businessmen to settle extortion issues with Ejaz, added an official.

“Soon after Ejaz’s confession, we were looking for Nadeem but two weeks ago he left for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. A look out circular (LOC) was issued against him and as soon as he arrived at the Mumbai International airport on Saturday evening, he was arrested,” added Rastogi.