COURT ACQUITS TWO CITY BIZMEN AND DAWOOD’S NEPHEW

MUMBAI: A special MCOCA court on Friday acquitted two city-based businessmen and underworld fugitive Dawood Ibrahim’s nephew, Rizwan Kaskar, in a 2019 extortion case.

After hearing the arguments at length, special Judge BD Shelke acquitted businessmen Ahmedraja Afroz Vadhariya and Ashfaq Towelvala from the Dongri area, and Kaskar as well. Rizwan Kaskar is the son of Dawood’s younger brother. Kaskar was arrested in July 2019 in connection with a complaint filed by a builder in Mu mb a i w h o allegedly received threatening calls from underworld don Chhota Shakeel in June 2019 asking him to forgo ₹15.5 lakh that was payable to Kaskar’s friend Towelvala who was a business partner of the builder in the import of electronics and other goods.

The informant was a builder who also conducted the business of importing electronics and other goods. He knew Towelvala as both of them were in the same business. The latter was liable to pay ₹15.5 lakh to the informant arising out of a transaction, hence, the informant would demand the said amount time and again.

On June 12, 2019, at approximately 11:30 pm, the informant received an international call wherein the caller, claiming to be Fahim Machmach, a wanted accused, purportedly spoke on behalf of gangster Chhota Shakeel. The caller informed the informant that Vadhariya had assumed responsibility in place of Towelvala. Allegedly, t he c a l l e r threatened the informant to cease demanding money from Towelvala and Vadhariya.

The next day, according to the builder, Vadhariya called him and repeated the threat and added that he would kill the informant if he failed to follow Machmach’s orders. During the investigation, a confessional statement made by Towelvala led the police to arrest Kaskar.