The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a bail plea filed by a man accused of helping the gang led by terrorist Dawood Ibrahim extort money and move funds through hawala routes [Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh v. National Investigation Agency].
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta sought the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) response to a plea filed by Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh challenging a Bombay High Court order that refused him bail.
The NIA alleges that Shaikh acted on instructions from Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel and helped extort ₹16 crores from a protected witness between 2008 and 2018.
It also claims he received ₹25 lakhs through hawala routes in April 2022, kept ₹5 lakhs and passed the remaining ₹20 lakhs to another accused. The agency alleges that the money was intended for terrorist and criminal activities.
Shaikh disputes his alleged links to the gang and denies that the money was meant for terrorism. He has also challenged the application of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) to his case.
A special NIA court rejected his bail plea in December 2024.
The Bombay High Court upheld that decision on April 15, 2026, finding that the material prima facie indicated a link between Shaikh and the alleged organised crime syndicate.
Shaikh then approached the Supreme Court.
Advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for Shaikh, told the Court that his client had been in custody for more than four years, but charges had yet to be framed.
“My Lords, four years have elapsed; an 8,000-page chargesheet. Charges have not been framed,” Pracha submitted.
“Since when have you been in custody?” Justice Nath asked.
“May of 2022. Four years, four months. 137 witnesses, 8,000 pages of chargesheet,” Pracha replied.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the NIA, said he would file a detailed response.
“But he’s a member of the Dawood gang,” Raju submitted.
Pracha, however, disputed that allegation and said he would address the applicability of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) when the matter is heard further.
After hearing the preliminary submissions, the Court issued notice to the NIAand granted the agency four weeks to file its response.
Advocates RHA Sikander, Jatin Bhatt, Sanawar, Vipin Kumar, Nikhil Guliani, Nujhat Naseem, Kumail Abbas, and Adeel Hassan also represented Shaikh.