What a coincidence! Pradeep Sharma reinstated in police department, movie release on Haseena Parkar and Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar arrested by the encounter specialist. Sometimes it looks like an attempt to gain publicity for the movie or a stunt to bring Dawood in news by his very own henchman in uniform. Several speculations and theories are being discussed around. Meanwhile, underworld don Chhota Rajan (known to be a right wing supporter) who was strategically brought back to India and his family is having holiday time with him. This VVIP criminal don has been provided with a television in his cell, he plays loud music on it thereby creating troubles for his inmates. He is also provided with all sorts of facilities from food to clothing. His family frequently visits him and Chhota Rajan is at peace there because he is been treated like the most important guest in jail.
Chhota Rajan was once a close aide of terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, he was brought to India from Bali, Indonesia to face trial in over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug smuggling in Delhi and Mumbai. Rajan was arrested in October 2015, few months after BJP came to power. Chhota Rajan’s deportation and arrest was a big political plot to help him get back to soil. Moreover, he would be helping government to trace the location of Dawood, because Modi had promised to bring back the underworld don in 2014. Later on equations changed and Modi failed to negotiate on Dawood.
Pradeep Sharma is a serving officer in the Mumbai police force. Sharma achieved celebrity status as an “encounter specialist” with the Mumbai Encounter Squad and was involved with the deaths of as many as 312 criminals. On August 31, 2008 he was dismissed from the Mumbai police on charges of corruption but was reinstated on August 16, 2017 after he was proven innocent of those charges. On August 31, 2008 the Maharashtra government dismissed Pradeep Sharma for involvement and contacts with underworld criminals such as D-company. Police obtained telephonic interceptions of Sharma’s conversations with criminals and about criminal activities while the Intelligence Bureau provided intelligence implicating Sharma in the activities of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. However, Sharma is amongst several officers of the encounter squad facing official inquiries. Sharma professed his innocence, described his dismissal as wrongful and accused the Chhota Rajan gang of framing him. Police and media sources speculate that Sharma may be targeted by the Chhota Rajan gang, although dismissed officers are not entitled to police protection. Several media sources have nicknamed him “Bombay’s Dirty Harry” as he used to kill gang members of Chhota Rajan, Arun Gawli, Amar Naik after receiving tip-off from Dawood gang. Many police officers those days were loyal to gangsters and on their tip they used to eliminate rival gang members.
Now with new movie release, notorious Kaskar clan, Haseena Parkar is bereft of frisson and focus. It crafts a morally dodgy portrait of the ‘godmother’ of Nagpada, Dawood Ibrahim’s tough-minded sibling who ran the dreaded mafia don’s crime syndicate by proxy in the 1990s and the naughtiest without ever being brought to book. It falls off the deep end in the process. Underworld period dramas have anyways outlived their utility. In terms of both style and substance, they now reek of musty monotony. Anyways this picture needed a good publicity boost. While the movie release was on, coincidentally Kaskar, 60, the only one of Dawood’s brothers to be based in Mumbai now, and two of his aides were arrested on September 18 by the Thane police’s anti-extortion cell, which is investigating an extortion racket that allegedly runs in nexus with some local politicians. Kaskar told the investigators that Dawood has avoided speaking to him and other relatives in India for the past three years over fears of his phone being tapped. He has, however, claimed to be in touch with Anees Ahmad, another brother who helps Dawood run his crime empire, a couple of times in the past. Kaskar said Anees has called him from international numbers on his mobile phones on Eid and other occasions. Kaskar, accused of having collected around Rs 100 crore from developers and jewellers in Thane region in the last three years and channelling them to D-Company, denied that Dawood was involved. He denied being involved in any extortion racket and claimed he was doing business with the builders. All the statements given by Kaskar during the interrogation are presently being verified and are likely to be used by the agencies against the fugitive Dawood. The police, interrogating Kaskar regularly during his eight days in their custody, are trying to get the names of businessmen, including Bollywood personalities, who are in Dawood’s good books.
In the past, many films were made on Underworld Don and his family, including his sister Haseena Parkar. The movie did well as Mumbaikars always have typical fondness for criminals of the city.
Dawood is presently in Pakistan; don’s brother Iqbal Kaskar has given some four-five addresses used by Dawood in the country. Dawood wants to return to India and is currently negotiating a settlement with the BJP-led government at the centre. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supremo, Raj Thackrey made the sensational claim, he said that Dawood Ibrahim is now very sick and crippled, he is very keen to return to India and breathe his last in his motherland.
Pakistan consistently denies that the global terrorist is holed up there. But bringing him back is nearly impossible because Dawood is known to be under the protection of Pakistan’s ISI. If this is to be believed, a direct attack by Indian intelligence on ISI stronghold will force them to show their power in Indian soil. This will be done to ascertain their masses of ISI’s efficacy. This will start a vicious circle which the Indian government will try to prevent at any cost.
Moreover, India lacks political will power. That’s the reason we are still unable to catch him. We keep on blaming R&AW and IB for this, but never realise that these government agencies are helpless due to political leadership. Not everyone can be like Indira Gandhi or Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Back in the year 2005, IB Chief made a plan with some senior IB official to assassinate Dawood Ibrahim during his daughter’s marriage in Dubai. A professional shooter and a member of Chhota Rajan team, “Vicky Malhotra” was contacted. Somehow Dawood came to know this whole plot; Vicky was in wanted list of Mumbai police. Mumbai police got information of Vicky’s stay in Delhi. Mumbai police arrested him from Delhi and this whole covert plan was washed out, just before execution. This golden opportunity slipped from agencies hand to assassinate Dawood just because of lack of proper co-ordination between Intelligence and security forces. Let’s see what time has in its fold.
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