Attarwala's police remand extended till Sep 20

Mumbai, Sep13: A local court today extended till September 20 the police custody of Iqbal Attarwala, an aide of mafia fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, who has been arrested in a land grabbing case.

The prosecution today urged the court to extend Attarwala's custody period on the plea that investigations in the case are yet to be completed. Additional Chief Metropolitan magistrate S Y Shisode granted the prosecution plea and extended Attarwala's police remand till September 20.

Attarwala had arrived in India from Dubai on the morning of September 6 to surrender before the police in connection with the complaint lodged by a city-based builder, Ranchhodbhai Patel, who has implicated him in a ''land grabbing'' case of 2004. Attarwala's property in Mumbai had been sealed and attached by the police thereby forcing him to return to India. Attarwala was arrested from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport by crime branch sleuths upon his arrival here from Dubai.

Mr Patel, in his complaint against Attarwala, had said he had purchased certain plots of land from one Haribhau Keni at Malad here in 2004. On November 29, 2004, Attarwala, accompanied by his accomplices Atul Patel, Lalbhai Shah and others, had broken the lock of the gate, assaulted security guards, and threatened six other tenants and asked them to vacate the premises, according to the complaint.

UNI