{
  "id": 1531427,
  "title": "Dawood Ibrahim Associate Akhtar Merchant Arrested At Delhi Airport After Three Years In Kashimira Bakery Shooting Case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/dawood-ibrahim-associate-akhtar-merchant-arrested-at-delhi-airport",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T17:21:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/dawood-ibrahim-associate-akhtar-merchant-arrested-at-delhi-airport-after-three-years-in-kashimira-bakery-shooting-case"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai police have apprehended Akhtar Merchant, a prominent associate of notorious underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim, at Delhi Airport. Merchant, who has been evading arrest for three years, is the primary suspect in the 2023 Kashimira bakery shooting case. The incident occurred when Merchant and his co-accused, Pappu Pager, allegedly demanded extortion money from a local gutkha vendor named Babu. When Babu refused to comply, shots were fired at his bakery, resulting in the arrest of the accused under multiple charges including extortion, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, and illegal possession of firearms under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Despite Pappu Pager's previous arrest, Merchant remained at large until Interpol provided crucial information, enabling the Crime Branch to monitor his potential return routes and apprehend him upon his arrival in Delhi. Once in custody, Merchant will be transferred to Mira-Bhayandar for interrogation in order to uncover further details regarding the bakery shooting, the extortion racket, and his extensive underworld network.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: Akhtar Merchant, a key associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and the primary accused in the 2023 Kashimira bakery shooting case, has been arrested at Delhi Airport after evading the police for three years. Acting on information received through Interpol, the Crime Branch of the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police maintained strict surveillance on his movements and detained him…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}