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CBI files charge-sheet against Dawood in 2004 Gutka case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently filed a charge-sheet against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and sent Letters Rogatory (LR) to Pakistan, United
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently filed a charge-sheet against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and sent Letters Rogatory (LR) to Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom seeking information about Dawood’s alleged gutka business set up in Pakistan with help from Indian businessmen.
The charge-sheet filed in the special MCOCA court in Mumbai names Dawood and RM Dhariwal, owner of Manikchand Gutka, for allegedly supplying tobacco and tobacco machines to Pakistan through Dubai.
The agency said Dawood’s gutka business is purportedly run by his brother Anees Ibrahim.
The agency has also filed a charge-sheet against Dawood’s brother-in-law AH Antule, henchman Saleem Mohammed Ghaus, besides two prominent Gutka businessmen — JM Joshi of Goa Gutka and Dhariwal — for allegedly helping Anees Ibrahim set up a gutka plant at Hyderabad in Sindh province of Pakistan.
The case was initially registered by the Mumbai police in 2004. The issue came to light the same year when Mumbai police arrested one Jamiruddin for possession of an illegal gun in Mumbai. During interrogation, Jamiruddin revealed that Joshi and Dhariwal helped Dawood set up a gutka manufacturing unit in Sindh province.
Jamiruddin said Dhariwal and Joshi were in a financial dispute which was solved by Dawood. In return for his efforts, Dawood asked the two to help set up a gutka manufacturing unit in Karachi.
It was around 2003-04 that the factory was set up.
In 2005, CBI filed a charge-sheet against four persons — Jamiruddin, Rajesh Panchariya, Anees Ibrahim and Farooq Mansoori — accusing them under IPC and MCOCA of aiding and abetting activities of the underworld, indulging in criminal conspiracy and maintaining links with members of organised crime syndicate.
At that time, the chargesheet did not include Dhariwal and Joshi.
Later, the gutka barons were also booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in Mumbai but got bail.
