Money Laundering Probe Against Chhota Shakeel’s Brother-In-Law: ED Attaches Dongri’s Lambat Building, Bank Balances Worth ₹4 Crore

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached the Lambat Building near Dongri in south Mumbai, alleging that Mohamed Salim Iqbal Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, brother-in-law of gangster Chhota Shakeel, acquired the property in his wife's name through threats issued in the name of the Dawood Ibrahim gang and forged documents.

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The central agency has also attached bank balances belonging to builder Aslam Abdul Rahman Patni and other accused persons as part of its money laundering investigation. The total value of the attached movable and immovable assets is approximately Rs 4 crore, officials said.

According to the ED, Shabbir Ahmed Hasan Karolia and Yusuf Ahmed Hasan Karolia allegedly conspired to illegally acquire the property by impersonating its original owner and fabricating documents, including a deed of conveyance, before facilitating its transfer to Salim Fruit's wife, Shazia Salim Iqbal Qureshi.

The money laundering investigation stems from a Mumbai Police case registered following a complaint by a South African businessman, who alleged that his uncle and cousins had connived with Salim Fruit to grab his father's property in Umarkhadi. The building was valued at approximately Rs 25 crore in 2016. The complainant alleged that his father's signature was forged on documents to facilitate the transaction, even though his father had died in 2006. A family member reportedly learnt in 2016 that the property had been sold in 2011.

The ED has alleged that Patni acquired a 50 per cent share in Lambat Building, belonging to Yasmin Mohammed Ahmed and the late Sherzada Jungrez Khan, in 2019 by threatening and coercing them in the names of Dawood Ibrahim and Salim Fruit. The owners were allegedly dispossessed of their share without receiving any payment.

Patni subsequently transferred the building to Salim Fruit's wife, Shazia, the agency alleged.

According to the ED, the successive transactions were structured to give the transfer an appearance of legitimacy, although the property was allegedly acquired through extortion and coercion and ultimately held in Shazia's name.

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