New Delhi, Jan 10: A Special MCOCA Court in Mumbai has awarded ten years rigorous imprisonment to three accused in a case related to the nexus between the underworld and gutka manufacturers. Don Dawood Ibrahim wanted to establish a gutka factory in Pakistan and they helped him in the matter.
The CBI had registered the case on February 9, 2005 on the request of the Maharashtra government and took over the investigation of the case registered at the Sir JJ Marg police station, Mumbai.
It was alleged that during February-May in 2002, Ansari and Ibrahim had threatened to kill a businessman and his associate and forced them to purchase five gutka pouch packaging machines worth Rs 2.64 lakh from Rajesh Panchariya and sent them to Anees Ibrahim in Karachi, Pakistan through their associate Farooq Ahmed Mansoori in Dubai.
The case was transferred to the CID, Mumbai Police. After investigation, the Mumbai Police filed a chargesheet on January 24, 2005 against four accused.
The CBI conducted a thorough investigation. It was learnt that two more accused J. M. Joshi and R. N. Dhariwal were in nexus with Dawood Ibrahim. Dhariwal used his links with Dawood to settle a long-standing financial dispute with Joshi. As per the settlement Joshi was to receive Rs 20 crore from Dhariwal and in lieu Joshi was to provide all assistance (financial/technical/ operational) to Dawood in running an organized crime syndicate for establishing a gutka factory in Hyderabad, Sind Province, Pakistan.
The accused had also kidnapped an employee of Joshi in India and took him to Hyderabad, Sind Province and forcibly made him work for three years in the gutka factory (established/ financed/operationalized) in Pakistan by Joshi for Dawood.
Dhariwal was abetting the activities of the organized crime syndicate of Dawood by supplying gutka to a Dubai based company owned by Abdul Hamid Antulay (brother-in-law of Dawood) and Saleem Mohd Ghaus Sheikh. During the period from 1996 to 2001, Dhariwal supplied gutka worth of Rs 46.1 crore to his company, thereby providing gains to the organized crime syndicate of Dawood.
After investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet in 2016 against nine accused — Zamiruddin Ansari, Rajesh Panchariya, Anees lbrahim Kaskar (absconder), Farooq Mansuri, J. M Joshi, R. M. Dhariwal, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Abdul Hamid Antulay (absconder) and Salim Mohd. Ghaus Shaikh (absconder).
Four out of the nine accused in the chargesheet are absconding.
Dhariwal died during the trial, thus the trial proceedings against him abated. Panchariya was earlier discharged by the trial court, against which the CBI has filed an appeal before the Mumbai High Court.
Further, two victims have been given compensation of Rs 2.64 lakh and Rs 1.32 lakh respectively.
IANS