Dawood Ibrahim's aide Riyaz Bhati, arrested from Andheri in extortion case, to be produced before court today

Image courtesy: ANI (file pic)

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Anti-Extortion Cell of Mumbai Crime Branch arrested underworld don Dawood Ibrahim`s aide Riyaz Bhati from the Andheri area in connection with an extortion case, said Mumbai Crime Branch on Monday. Bhati will be produced before a court on Tuesday against whom a case of extortion and threatening to kill is registered. Bhati has been wanted in the extortion case filed at Mumbai`s Versova Police Station.

After the registration of the case at Versova police station, the investigation of the matter was carried out by the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Crime Branch. According to the police, Riyaz Bhati and Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, a relative of Chhota Shakeel, had extorted a costly vehicle and more than Rs 7 lakh by threatening to kill a businessman of Andheri.

Dawood Ibrahim`s close aide Chhota Shakeel`s relative Salim Fruit has also been named in the FIR. Following the secret information, the crime branch`s AEC team laid the trap and arrested the accused from the Andheri area.

The Crime Branch has also filed a petition in the NIA Special Court seeking the custody of Salim Fruit. The police will present the arrested accused Riyaz Bhati in court on Tuesday and will demand his custody. 

A case of extortion was also registered against Riyaz Bhati at Goregaon Police Station in Mumbai. Bhati is an accused, along with former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh, in an extortion case lodged at Mumbai`s Goregaon police station.

After the registration of the case, Bhati had earlier also approached the court, but the anticipatory bail petition was also rejected by the court at that time. The case is being investigated further.