Dawood set up unit to target bizmen & politicians, says NIA charge sheet

New Delhi, Nov 8

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its charge sheet filed before a special court in Mumbai, has claimed that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim led D-Company has set up a special unit to target politicians and businessmen and made available lethal weapons to be used against prominent personalities.

"The D-company set up the unit to strike terror in people by attacking eminent personalities, including politicians and businessmen. We have learnt that the arrested as well as wanted accused were "active members" of an organised crime syndicate working as a terrorist gang," the probe agency has mentioned.

According to sources, the charge sheet was filed on Saturday against Dawood Ibrahim, Chotta Shakeel and three others in connection with carrying out terror activities across India.

The charge sheet was filed against three arrested and two wanted accused.

It was filed against Arif Abubakar Shaikh alias Arif Bhaijaan, Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh alias Shabbir, Mohammad Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit and Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar alias Shaikh Dawood Hassan and Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel under sections 17, 18, 20 and 21 of the UA (P) Act, Sections 3(1) (ii), 3(2), 3(4) & 3(5) of The Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, read with sections 387, 201 and 120B of IPC.

A total of Rs 25 lakh in cash was sent to Arif and Shabbir through hawala channel from Pakistan via Dubai to Mumbai. It was nothing but proceeds of terrorism.

"Investigations have established that the accused persons who are members of the D-Company, a terrorist gang and an organised crime syndicate, had conspired to further the criminal activities of the gang by carrying out various types of unlawful activities. In furtherance of the said conspiracy, they raised, collected and extorted huge amounts of money by threatening and by putting persons in fear of death or grievous hurt, for the D-Company and for the benefit of an individual terrorist in the instant case, and with the intention to threaten the security of India and create terror in the minds of the general public," the NIA has mentioned in the charge sheet.

The NIA has learnt that the arrested accused persons received huge amounts of money through hawala channels, from the absconding accused based abroad, meant for triggering sensational terrorist/criminal acts in Mumbai and other parts of India to create terror in the minds of people. The accused persons were in possession of the said "proceeds of terrorism".

Further investigation in the matter is on.