9/11 effect: Dawood brother in net

In what is being seen as a ‘‘sacrifice’’ by the D company and its Pak handlers following international pressure post-Sep...

In what is being seen as a ‘‘sacrifice’’ by the D company and its Pak handlers following international pressure post-September 11, Anees Ibrahim Kaskar, brother of Dawood Ibrahim and a co-accused in the Mumbai blasts case, was arrested from his plush flat in Par Dubai on December 3.

Anees, who has a Pakistani passport—and figures in the list of 20 wanted by Delhi from Pakistan—was picked up by United Arab Emirates authorities on the basis of an Interpol red alert and information provided by Indian intelligence agencies.

He was last arrested in India by the Colaba and V P Road police stations under the Arms Act in 1986. The offences were minor and he soon got bail. Later he took shelter in Dubai along with his brother Dawood. Anees is the fourth of seven brothers—Shabbir, Noora, Dawood, Iqbal, Mustakim and Humayun.

This is the third time that Anees, considered to be the D company’s pointperson for ‘‘business affairs,’’ has been picked up by UAE authorities. On two previous occasions, he was let off for want of evidence so this time Delhi is playing extra safe.

Having learnt their lesson with Abu Salem, say sources, the Mumbai police have already begun gathering relevant documents, evidence and fingerprints in 28 different criminal cases registered against him.

Among them are the serial bomb blast of March 12, conspiring to kill music baron Gulshan Kumar and the firing at Zaika Hotel in Bandra in 1996 in an attempted bid to kill the hotel owner. The Crime Branch team have already asked the Colaba and V P Road police stations to send fingerprints and other material to the CBI by tommorow evening.

Meanwhile, CBI’s Deputy Inspector General (Coordination) A K Gupta, who left for Dubai today, is carrying with him documents pertaining to the Mumbai blasts case, the chargesheets filed a nd also evidence provided by the Mumbai police of Anees’s involvement in various cases. He has also taken available fingerprints for a ‘‘positive identification.’’ Sources said a team, including legal experts, will follow later to negotiate his deportation.

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The first time Anees was picked up by the UAE authorities was in 1996 when he was found in possession of drugs but was allowed to go after he managed to prove they were for personal consumption.

The second time, again in Dubai, he was picked up in November 1998 for the murder of Irfan Goga — another Dawood associate and accused in Mumbai blasts case — but was let off for want of evidence. He had been picked up after Goga’s wife had named Anees as a suspect. In addition to the Goga murder case, Anees was also wanted for a counterfeit currency case in Dubai.

This time around, New Delhi is hopeful Anees will either be deported or extradited by the UAE authorities. Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani expressed confidence that the CBI and Indian Embassy in Dubai would coordinate with the UAE authorities to bring back Anees to India for trial. Referring to deportation of Aftab Ansari earlier this year, Advani said they expected the same in this case too.

Though India has an extradition treaty with UAE, they would prefer deportation as in the case of Ansari, prime accused in the attack on the American Centre in Kolkata. Deportation required less formalities and paperwork, sources in the CBI said.