Mumbai: Gangster Lakdawala fears for his life in Arthur Road jail

Ejaz Lakdawala

Fearing for his life in Arthur Road jail, gangster Ejaz Lakdawala has sought the intervention of the special MCOCA court to send him back to Taloja prison. His daughter has claimed there is a threat to his life as all his rivals are lodged in Arthur Road Jail.

In an application submitted before the special court, Lakdawala has stated that he was arbitrarily transferred from Taloja Central Prison to Arthur Road Jail on May 15 as per the order of the DIG Prisons. He said that since he is in judicial custody, without the order of the court concerned he cannot be transferred to any other prison. He has expressed distrust of the claim given of the prison authorities on the transfer being authorised by the court.

"This transfer has been done in a clandestine manner. It is axiomatic that transfer of the prisoner from any place of detention would be permissible only with the permission of the court under whose warrant the under trial has been remanded in custody," Lakdawala stated in his application.

Lakdawala said in his application that throughout the period of detention, there is not a single complaint against him. Hence it would be sound in considering that from his conduct he can be accommodated in a cell/barrack (circle) as designated by the superintendent of Taloja Central Jail, instead of a high security as he is not a threat.

He requested the court to call upon the Taloja superintendent and produce the documents on the basis of which they transferred him, and also enquire if any opportunity was given to him to put forth his contentions with regard to the transfer.

"There is a threat to his life to him inside Arthur Road Jail. Many of his rivals are lodged there, and he was shifted to the same prison without the court's permission. We are concerned about his safety," said a source close to Lakdawala.

Lakdawala was arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch in 2020 from Bihar. He has several extortion cases registered against him. He had caused havoc in the city by making extortion calls to builders, businessmen, and celebrities from Nepal and other parts of the world. Earlier this year, he was convicted by a special court in a murder case dating back to 1996, in which 32-year-old Sayyed Farid Maqbool Husain was killed at Mohammed Ali Road over alleged gang rivalry. Chhota Rajan was also accused in the case but was acquitted by the court.