NIA quizzes director in co linked to Malik Jr

Mumbai: The NIA on Monday confirmed it searched 24 places in Mumbai and five places in the Mira Road-Bhayander Commissionerate area as part of its ongoing probe against Dawood Ibrahim. It questioned Suhail Khandwani, trustee of two prominent city dargahs and a director in a company associated with Faraz Malik, son of NCP minister Nawab Malik, for around eight hours at his office at Mahim.Khandwani declined to speak to the media. The NIA also questioned Quayyum Shaikh, Guddu Pathan and Mubina Bhiwanidiwala after searching their premises.
A press release issued by the NIA said the Dawood gang indulged in arms smuggling, narco terrorism (dealing in drugs to fund terror), money laundering, circulation of fake currency and unauthorised possession of assets. The NIA also alleged that the gang was involved in the acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and was working in active collaboration with terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaida.
Three months ago, the NIA had registered a case of criminal conspiracy under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Dawood Ibrahim, his brother Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Chhota Shakeel, Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna, Tiger Memon, the prime accused in the 1992 blasts case, and others.
The NIA alleged that Dawood Ibrahim, after he left India, started controlling his criminal activities in India through his close associates, relatives and worked on spreading terror in India. Dawood and Tiger Memon had executed the 1993 Mumbai blasts with help of their other associates.
Based on the NIA case and other extortion cases registered by the Thane police against Dawood gang members, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also registered a money laundering case against them recently. In the case, the ED had arrested NCP minister Nawab Malik after alleging that he had financial transactions with Dawood’s late sister Haseena Parkar and purchased a property at Kurla illegally over two decades ago. The ED had alleged that by paying money to Parkar, “Nawab Malik aided the D-Company (Dawood gang) financially”.