Mumbai: Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala, police informer booked in 2019 extortion case

Ejaz Lakdawala. File pic

A case has been registered against gangster Ejaz Lakdawala and a police informer here for allegedly extorting a Mumbai-based businessman, police said on Sunday. The D N Nagar police in Andheri registered the case against Lakdawala and police informer Salim Memon alias Salim Maharaj on Friday, an official said.

The case was filed on the complaint of businessman Abbas Ali Ratanshi. In his complaint, he alleged that he was locked in a financial dispute with his former partner Sayyed Salauddin. In May 2019, Riyaz Bhati, a co-accused of former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in an extortion case, called him up in May 2019 and asked him to settle down the matter with his partner after calling Ratanshi to his office, he said.

Later, Ratanshi received threatening calls in June and July 2019 from an international number with the caller identifying himself as gangster Ejaz Lakdawala, who asked him to settle the matter with his partner and demanded Rs 5 crore as protection money from him. After that Ratanshi had lodged a complaint, the official said.

Ratanshi said he suspected that Salim Maharaj had passed on his mobile number, details to Lakdawala. Based on the complaint, police booked the duo under IPC section 387 (extortion) and 34 (common intention), he said, adding that further investigation is underway.

According to police, Lakdawala was arrested in January 2020 from Patna by Mumbai Police's anti-extortion cell. Before forming his own gang, the accused, who had been absconding for years, worked for fugitive gangster Dawood Dawood. He was wanted in several cases of alleged extortion, attempt to kill, and rioting.

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