The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office-I, has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against alleged trespassers for unauthorised entry into a flat in Thane West that was attached by the agency in connection with a money laundering investigation into an extortion case involving Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar and others. Kaskar is the brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
According to an ED press release issued on Friday, the FIR was registered at Kasarvadavali Police Station on October 15 under Sections 329(4) and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, following allegations that certain persons had entered the attached property, interfered with the lock and removed a possession notice while claiming ownership.
The agency said it restored possession of the flat after taking steps to safeguard the property. The lock was changed in the presence of police personnel and witnesses, and a fresh notice was affixed at the premises.
The notice states that any person aggrieved by the action may approach the ED office or the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), where the case is being tried.
Flat attached in money laundering investigation
The property in question is Flat No 405 in Thane West. The ED said it was provisionally attached through an order dated April 8, 2022, during a money laundering investigation linked to an extortion case involving Iqbal Kaskar and others.
The provisional attachment was subsequently confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority under Section 8(3) of the PMLA through an order dated September 29, 2022. The agency took possession of the flat on December 17, 2024, under Section 8(4) of the Act.
The ED investigation originated from an FIR registered at Kasarvadavali Police Station in Thane concerning allegations of extortion against, among others, Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar, Mumtaz Azaz Sheikh, alias Raju, and Israr Ali Jamil Saiyed.
During the investigation, the agency found that flats were allegedly demanded to be registered in favour of, or at the instance of, the accused following threats and extortion. In this context, Flat No 405 was registered in the name of Mumtaz Azaz Sheikh, alias Raju, through a registered sale deed dated May 29, 2015.
Court directs restoration of possession
The ED said it learnt that certain persons had allegedly entered the flat, interfered with its lock and removed the possession notice while claiming ownership of the property.
Following inspections and enquiries, the agency took steps to protect the attached asset. The matter was also brought before the Special Court under the PMLA, which directed the ED to restore possession, with police assistance if required.
In compliance with the court's directions, the ED changed the lock in the presence of police personnel and witnesses and restored possession of the flat. A fresh notice was displayed, informing aggrieved persons that they could approach the agency or the court conducting the trial.
The ED described the FIR as a deterrent action against alleged trespassers interfering with properties attached and possessed by the agency.
Further investigation into the matter is underway.
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