Extortion case: Builder says he never filed plaint against Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar

Param Bir Singh

In a new twist to the Iqbal Kaskar extortion case, complainant Shyamsundar Agarwal has alleged that he never filed a complaint against Kaskar and the D-company. In his complaint to State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil and Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey, he claims that he was made to sign on a piece of paper by former police commissioner Param bir Singh and ex-encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma in October 2017. He further mentions that the following day he got to know from newspapers that based on his complaint, the Thane police booked several gangsters, including Dawood Ibrahim, and later arrested his brother Kaskar as well.

Pradeep Sharma

In 2017, Sharma was heading the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Thane police and Singh was the commissioner of Thane police. Recently, based on a written complaint of Agarwal, the Marine Drive police registered a case against Singh and a few other officers for allegedly implicating the Mira-Bhayandar builder in a false MCOCA case in a bid to extort money from him. Agarwal has further said in his complaint that Singh and Sharma threatened to register an MCOCA case against him if he didn't sign the paper.

The complaint further states, "Sharma called me to his office sometime in October 2017. Once I was there, he told me that there was sufficient proof to book me under the MCOC Act. Then I was taken to the office of the Thane police chief. There, my signature was taken on a paper. I was asked to leave after that."

Also read: Dawood Ibrahim in good health, brother Kaskar tells NCB

"I was made a complainant in the FIR at Thane Nagar 35 police station. The next day I got to know from newspapers that based on my complaint some gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim, Anees Ibrahim, Iqbal Kaskar, Bawar Kothari, Bharat Jain, Tony Lewis and others were booked," he said in the complaint. That same year two other similar cases were registered against the gangsters. Agarwal further states that he suspects their plan was to show him as a complainant against the underworld people as then he would fear for his own and family's safety.

Param Bir Singh. File pics

‘It was a conspiracy'

"It was a conspiracy against me to create an incorrect document and extort money. While being forced to sign on that paper, Sharma threatened me to either be an accused in an MCOCA case or agree to be the complainant. Taking into consideration my past experience with Sanjay Punamiya, I strongly believe that the latter formed this team with his business associate Sunil Jain and close acquaintance Singh. As and when I get the opportunity to represent myself before the judicial authority concerned, I will put forward the real picture of this entire story."

Kaskar was arrested by Sharma along with his team from the Thane Anti Extortion Cell in 2017 following a complaint by Agarwal. The Thane police then claimed that Kaskar was running an extortion racket in the name of his brother, Dawood Ibrahim. He was charge-sheeted under MCOCA and other FIRs were also registered against him for allegedly threatening builders and businessmen in a bid to extort money from them. "Whatever I have narrated in the complaint is true. I had no idea about the complaint against Kaskar," Agarwal told mid-day.

Former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma being taken to the NIA headquarters at Pedder Road

Agarwal's complaint letter dated July 19, 2021 was later referred to the Thane Police by the DGP on July 27 and an FIR was registered against Singh and other officers at the Marine Drive police station and another one in Thane. The same letter has been given to the Mumbai police commissioner.

July 19
Day Agarwal filed the written complaint