Dawood’s brother Iqbal escapes bid on life,bodyguard shot dead

Iqbal Kaskar,the younger brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim,escaped an attempt on his life after two men fired at him after a heated argument near his home in south Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar area on Tuesday,police said.

Iqbal’s driver-cum-bodyguard Arif was killed in the attack. The suspected assailants were chased by area residents through the narrow lanes of the neighbourhood,and were ultimately stopped by police in Pydhonie and arrested.

They have been identified as Syed Bilal from Mumbra and Indra Khatri,possibly from Nepal,Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime),Himanshu Roy,told The Indian Express. Two revolvers and a pistol were seized,Roy said.

The incident happened around 9.30 pm. Arif,40,was rushed to JJ Hospital nearby,where he succumbed to bullet wounds. Doctors said he had six injuries.

Iqbal was deported to India from the UAE in 2003,and was acquitted after trial in connection with the murder of a Customs department informer.

He was charged under MCOCA in the Sara-Sahara shopping complex case for allegedly usurping prime parking space in south Mumbai for a shopping centre. He was,however,acquitted again,and released in 2007.