IPL spot-fixing: Court orders property attachment process against Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday ordered initiation of proceedings for attachment of properties against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, his aide Chhota Shakeel and three others, who are absconding, in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal case.

The order came after Special Cell of Delhi Police informed the court that non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued against these absconding accused, who were chargesheeted in the case, could not be executed as they no longer reside at their last known addresses in India. Besides Dawood and Shakeel, the NBWs were issued against Pakistan-based Javed Chutani, Salman alias Master and Ehteysham, who all are considered to be Dawood`s associates. "As warrants issued against accused Dawood, Shakeel, Chutani, Salman and Ehteysham have returned unexecuted with a report that they no longer reside at last known address in India, a request has been made for ensuing of proceeding under sections 82 (proclamation for person absconding), 83 (attachment of property of person absconding) of CrPC. "In view of this, process under sections 82, 83 of CrPC be initiated against them," Additional Sessions Judge Bharat Parashar said. The court asked the police to paste the notice regarding the warrants at the last known address of these accused and also directed it to get published the notice in newspapers having national circulation. The court asked the police to furnish the report regarding this before it by August 16, the next date of hearing. The court also said it would commence hearing arguments on framing of charges in the case from August 16. Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan said that Delhi police will ascertain the properties owned by Dawood in the country and will submit a list on it before the court. Earlier, the court had expressed concern over "repeated adjournments" in the case and had directed the police to supply the copies of charge sheet and other documents filed along with it to all accused, including suspended cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan. The Special Cell of Delhi Police had filed a 6,000-page charge sheet against the accused in the case. The court had on June 10 last year granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others for lack of evidence against them under the provisions of stringent law Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Various other accused, including Chandila, were also granted bail later on by the court. The police, in its charge sheet, had claimed that Dawood and Shakeel, who have been "controlling the fixing and betting market" in cricket in India, were behind the IPL spot-fixing.