Dawood's associate arrested

Mumbai, July 22 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai police arrested a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Bangalore and brought him to the city early today in connection with an extortion case.

Acting on a tip-off that accused Rajesh Mughraj Jham (46) would be attending the wedding ceremony of his daughter in a hotel at Bangalore, AEC sleuths rushed there and arrested him, police said here today.

He was wanted in an extortion case of 2005, registered with the Mahim police station. He was also allegedly working as bookie for the Dawood gang, conducting the betting operations from Dubai and Pakistan.

Jham used to collect information about businessmen of the city and then pass on it to the underworld don for extorting money from them, sources said.

In 2005, he had asked for Rs five crore from a jeweller, who refused to pay the huge amount despite repeated demands. Thereafter, the jeweller was murdered.

UNI