File photograph of Dawood's brother iqbal kaskar

THANE: Dawood Ibrahim , India’s most wanted, is presently in Pakistan , a senior police officer has quoted the don’s brother Iqbal Kaskar as saying. Kaskar has given some four-five addresses used by Dawood in the country.

Pakistan consistently denies that the global terrorist is holed up there. Kaskar’s claim backs up the dossier India has handed to Pakistan, listing over nine addresses of Dawood in Karachi and other cities.

Kaskar, 60, the only one of Dawood’s brothers to be based in Mumbai now, and two of his aides were arrested on September 18 by the Thane police’s anti-extortion cell, which is investigating an extortion racket that allegedly runs in nexus with some local politicians.

Kaskar is also understood to have told the investigators that Dawood has avoided speaking to him and other relatives in India for the past three years over fears of his phone being tapped.

He has, however, claimed to be in touch with Anees Ahmad , another brother who helps Dawood run his crime empire, a couple of times in the past. Kaskar said Anees has called him from international numbers on his mobile phones on Eid and other occasions.

Kaskar, accused of having collected around Rs 100 crore from developers and jewellers in the Thane region in the last three years and chanelling them to D-Company, denied that Dawood was involved. He denied being involved in any extortion racket and claimed he was doing business with the builders. “Kaskar is not cooperating in the investigations and is hardly speaking. But yes, he has admitted he was in touch with his elder brother Anees Ahmad, involved in the 1993 serial bomb blast,” said an officer.

The senior officer said they are taking all of Kaskar’s claims with a pinch of salt and he is suspected to be in touch with his brothers. “All the statements given by Kaskar during the interrogation are presently being verified and are likely to be used by the agencies against the fugitive Dawood,” said a senior police officer.

Asked about Chhota Shakeel , a close aide of Dawood, Kaskar said he does not have good relations with him; in fact he claimed to hate him. The police, interrogating Kaskar regularly during his eight days in their custody, are trying to get the names of businessmen, including Bollywood personalities, who are in Dawood’s good books.

In Thane, a few more complainants are coming forward against the racket that Kaskar is accused of running in Dawood’s name. The police expect at least a dozen victims to open up. Already, a builder and a jeweller have lodged complaints.

Sources said a police team has been sent to Bihar, from where shooters were hired to scare victims. It is learnt that a builder from Navi Mumbai was slapped by these Bihari shooters and threatened. “He was so scared, he left town,” said an investigator.

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