Kin of gangster Chhota Shakeel booked in land grabbing case

MUMBAI: The brother-in-law of fugitive gangster Chhota Shakeel, Arif Bhaijaan, has been booked in connection with a 2004 land grab along with suspected associate of the gangster Iqbal Attarwala.

"Bhaijaan was in the custody of the Gujarat police in connection with the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya and we made an application on Saturday to transfer his custody in the Malad land grabbing case," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Deven Bharati said.

Bhaijaan who had fled to Dubai was arrested last November after arriving in the city and had been booked under the stringent Maharasthra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He was later discharged under MCOCA.

Bhaijaan was involved in the conspiracy to obtain the land, which was discovered during the interrogation of Attarwala, Bharati said.

Attarwala, alleged to be an associate of Shakeel, is accused of being involved in a 2004 land grabbing case in suburban Malad and is also suspected of using the gangster's influence to organise events in the Middle East that featured Bollywood actors.

Attarwala, who had a event management company in Dubai, was arrested earlier this month when he arrived in the city.

On Saturday, actor Sohail Khan had been summoned by the city police to the crime branch in connection with Attarwala's case. However, officials had declined to comment on the reason for it.