A special MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court recently acquitted Aakil Yusuf Lakdawala, brother of gangster Ejaz Lakdawala, and six others in an attempt to murder and extortion case registered in 2011. The case against Ejaz was separated as he was absconding then. He was arrested in Bihar on January 8, 2020, in connection with several extortion cases.
According to prosecution, the complainant had been working as a manager at a saw mill owned by one Zakir Chunawala for 10 years. On the afternoon of July 26, 2011, the manager – Mohammed Iqbal Isaq Lakdawala – was standing outside his cabin while an electrician was working inside. Meanwhile, a man suddenly came from behind and attacked him with the butt of a pistol and kept on assaulting him.
When the complainant asked his attacker about his identity, he replied, “Tera bap; Ejaz Lakdawala.” While the manager sustained an injury to his head, the attacker fled the spot on a bike.
The prosecution alleged that Ejaz later called the mill owner and asked for protection money. The prosecution relied on the instances, where Ejaz was found to have extorted local businessmen for money through his henchmen, to prove that he was running a gang.
However, at the time of the trial, neither the complainant nor the eyewitnesses did identify the person in court who allegedly attacked him.
The court also said the prosecution had not brought on record any evidence about the actual conversation between the accused persons to prove the charge of conspiracy and to prove that they were part of the gang led by Ejaz.
