Fugitive gangster Ejaj Lakdawala's cousin arrested in Mumbai

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Mumbai Crime Branch's Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) has arrested fugitive gangster Ejaj Lakdawala's cousin brother who was in the wanted list since 2013 in an extortion case. The arrested accused identified as Sameer Lakdawala has two extortion cases registered again him in Mumbai, one registered in 2003 and another in 2012.

In the latest case registered, Sameer had threatened a South Mumbai based developer and demanded Rs 50 lakh extortion. According to Ajay Sawant, senior inspector of AEC, "Lakdwala was wanted since 2013. He was arrested in 2012 but was released on bail in 2013 and ever since then he failed to attend court hearings and a warrant was issued against him.

The police got intel that Lakdawal was near Haji Ali area and immediately dispatched officials to the spot who laid the trap and arrested him. According to the police, Sameer Lakdawala worked as an informer for Ejaj Lakdawala and on bases of his information, Ejaj used to make threat calls to businessmen and developers in the city. His arrest was important as he was very close to Ejaj and knew about his whereabouts. After running from Mumbai police jurisdiction, Sameer took refuge in Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan. In the last five years, the crime branch has arrested over fifteen members of Ejaj Lakdawala gang in Mumbai.

Ejaj Lakdawal, the gangster
He started his career as an employee in his uncle's transport company in 1993 but ended up killing a man identified as Haren Mehta following an altercation at a local cricket match. He was arrested for the crime but acquitted in 1995. While in prison, he met Sunil Madgaonkar alias Matya who later gave Ejaj a contract to kill Farid Raji, an alleged aide of gangster Shakeel. The victim, Raji survived the murder attempt and in 1996, Ejaj was arrested and sent to Nashik jail from where he escaped and fled to Malaysia in 1998. He then joined hands with Chhota Rajan who was operating from a private yacht off Malaysia. After Rajan was shot in Bangkok in 2000, Ejaj parted ways with him and formed his own gang. He is allegedly working with gangster Dawood Ibrahim now.

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