NIA announces Rs 25 lakh cash reward on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, THIS on Chhota Shakeel

MUMBAI: In a major move against India’s most-wanted fugitives, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, and his close aides.

According to reports, the central anti-terror probe agency has also announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh on Dawood Ibrahim's most-trusted lieutenant Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, and Rs 15 lakh each on other key associates Haji Anees alias Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzak Memon alias Tiger Memon.

Importantly, all of them are wanted in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case. An NIA official said that the agency has sought information about them which could lead to their arrest. The agency had in February registered a case against the 'D company'.

Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is designated a global terrorist by the United Nation runs an international terrorist network, namely D-Company, with his close associates like Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Chhota Shakeel, Javed Chikhna and Tiger Memon, among others, the NIA said in a statement.

They are involved in various terrorism-criminal activities such as arms smuggling, narco-terrorism, underworld criminal syndicate, money laundering, circulation of FICN, unauthorised possession/ acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaeda (AQ), the statement said.

(With Agency Inputs)