MUMBAI: Iqbal Kaskar, brother of wanted gangster Dawood Ibrahim, surrendered and was released on bail in a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

He surrendered before a special court in Mumbai after an appeal was filed in the Bombay High Court against his acquittal in the same case. Kaskar, who was deported from Dubai in 2003 along with Tariq Parveen, was accused of conniving with the BMC officials and participating in the unlawful construction of shops on land reserved for the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in Crawford sale in south Mumbai.

Apart from Kaskar the court had acquitted builder Ghulam Nabi Ramzan Tanwar, BMC officials Narendra Rajbhar, Hasmukh Shah, Kiran Achrekar and Shirish Salvekar due to insufficient evidence.

On Wednesday special judge Mrudula Bhatkar heard arguments from the prosecution opposing the bail application and defence lawyers pressing for bail on the ground that he was acquitted and hence deserved bail.

The judge granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs. 25,000 and one surety.

She said the other accused in the case had already been granted bail.

Earlier in June 2007, the special court had held Tariq Parveen, Abdul Rehman Abdul Gafoor Sheikh alias Rehman Boss and Abdul Sattar Haji Jinabhai Radhanpura alias Sattar Teli guilty under sections of the MCOCA and the Indian Penal Code pertaining to extortion and criminal conspiracy.