Mirchi money-laundering case: Woman sent to judicial custody

A court here on Friday remanded a woman, arrested in connection with a money-laundering probe against late gangster Iqbal Mirchi, a former aide of global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, to judicial custody.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Rinku Deshpande (45) earlier this week for allegedly forging documents.

The ED's probe pertains to Mirchi purchasing three properties of the Sir Mohammad Yusuf Trust in September 1986 for Rs 6.5 lakh through his Rockside Enterprise.

These properties, namely Sea View, Marium Lodge and Rabia Mansion, measuring 1,537 square metres, are located in the Worli area of Mumbai.

Deshpande was produced before a holiday court here at the end of her ED custody on Friday and was sent to judicial custody.

According to the ED, the woman had forged documents and was shown as a tenant in one of the properties that was dealt by Mirchi and his associates.

So far, the central probe agency has made four arrests in the case.

While Mirchi's aide Humayun Merchant was arrested here on Monday, two others -- Haroun Aleem Yusuf and Ranjeet Singh Bindra -- were held early this month for allegedly facilitating these deals.

Mirchi, who died in 2013 in London, was allegedly a close aide of Dawood in the latter's drug-trafficking and extortion rackets.

The ED has charged Mirchi, his family and others with money laundering through illegal purchase and sale of real estate assets in Mumbai.