Thane (Maharashtra) : A special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) on Wednesday acquitted Iqbal Kaskar, younger brother of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, in an extortion case. In 2017, the Thane police had registered a case against him, charging him with extortion.
Special Court Judge Amit M. Shete opined that Kaskar should be acquitted as the prosecution has failed to prove the charges. Other accused are absconding. Kaskar was booked under Section 3 of MCOCA and Section 384 (extortion), 386 (intimidation of death) of Indian Penal Code at Thane Nagar Police Station.
The case was registered by the Thane Anti-Extortion Squad in connection with the extortion of Rs 3 crore in the deal of 38 acres of land in the Gorai area of Mumbai. During the hearing of the present case, the lawyer of the accused Iqbal Kaskar said that Kaskar is in jail in many cases. The remaining accused including Dawood Ibrahim and Anees Ibrahim are still absconding.
While opposing Kaskar's bail application last year, the prosecution had said that Kaskar had extorted money by calling various builders, filmmakers, industrialists in Pakistan with the help of Dawood Ibrahim. No one is coming to the police to file a complaint against him fearing for life.
After the arguments of the government and the defence, Judge Amit Shet said that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Kaskar. "The alleged accused need to be given benefit of doubt and therefore acquitted," observed Justice Shete.
