Iqbal Mirchi charged with ‘threatening to kill’ in UK

For Mumbai Mirror

Danish Khan

Iqbal Mirchi

After two days in the custody of Scotland Yard in London, Iqbal Memon alias Iqbal  Mirchi, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was finally charged and produced in the Redbridge Magistrates Court in the UK on Thursday afternoon.

“We have now pressed charges on the accused Iqbal Memon for threatening to kill a 41-year-old man,” said a Scotland Yard spokesperson.

When asked whether the police will ask for Mirchi's custody, the spokesperson refused to comment. At the time of going to press, Mirchi was still in the court.

According to sources, the victim has been identified as Nadeem A Kader who also lives in the Hornchurch area of Essex where Mirchi owns a palatial six bedroom house. The victim filed the complaint against Mirchi on October 9. Mirchi was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and faced interrogations in an East London police station.

Indian’s effort to seek extradition

In 1995, India had requested the extradition of Mirchi as a fugitive suspected to have played a prominent role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, but it was refused by UK.

Investigators are tightlipped about the complainant and whether Mirchi's record and India's extradition request in the past will have any bearing in the current investigations.

In New Delhi, an official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs had said on Wednesday that the extradition process was being initiated for him.

A Red Corner notice for the arrest of Mirchi had been issued and continues to be valid, "which means that he is a wanted person and that we do seek his extradition back to India. The processes involved for his extradition are being initiated," the spokesperson said.

The Mumbai police are preparing a dossier to expedite the extradition. There are 12 cases including murder, attempt to murder and narcotics against Mirchi, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy had said.