Mumbai police arrests underworld don Ejaz Lakdawala

Notorious fugitive underworld don Ejaz Lakdawala, who had been on the run for over two decades, has been arrested by the Mumbai Police. Lakdawala initially worked for Dawood Ibrahim and later formed his own syndicate. He was wanted by Mumbai Police for over 25 serious offences.

Lakdawala was produced by Crime Branch sleuths before the Esplanade magistrate's court in Mumbai, which remanded him to police custody till 21 January. Lakdawala was arrested from Patna, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve said.

He had survived an attempt on his life in Thai capital of Bangkok a few years ago. Later he shifted to Ontario in Canada. A red-corner notice was issued against him by Interpol a few years ago.

A few days ago, the Mumbai Police has arrested his daughter, Soniya Lakdawala. "His daughter was in our custody. She gave a lot of information to us. Our sources also told us about his arrival in Patna, he was arrested in Jakkanpur police station limits," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Santosh Rastogi said.

Lakdawala's daughter was arrested on 28 December, when she was tyring to fly out from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai to Nepal on a fake passport. Last year, a Khar-based developer had filed a case of extortion against Ejaz Lakdawala and his brother Akil, and the latter was arrested in March. Akil told Mumbai Police that Soniya had a fake passport and would attempt to flee the country.