Time was when Karim Lala’s Pathan gang ruled the streets of Mumbai. Today, a grandson-in-law of the late underworld kingpin has approached police for protection
Time was when Karim Lala’s Pathan gang ruled the streets of Mumbai. Today, a grandson-in-law of the late underworld kingpin has approached police for protection from members of the gang that succeeded the Pathans in the mid- to late-1980s.
Then, the battle between the Pathans and the Konkani gang led by Dawood Ibrahim was for control of the city’s mean streets. Now, Chhota Shakeel, Dawood’s henchman, is allegedly targeting Janzeb Khan for a stake in his real-estate business.
According to Khan, his watchman-cum-driver Khalid Shaikh, who was posted at his office on Mohammed Ali Road, was stabbed several times by unidentified men at 1am on Wednesday. “The assailants claimed that they were sent by Tariq Parveen,” said Khan. “While stabbing him, they said this was just a trailer, and that they will attack his boss as well.”
Parveen is allegedly a key aide of Shakeel. Shaikh was rushed to the JJ Hospital nearby. He is now said to be out of danger.
Parveen was called for questioning by sleuths of unit I of the crime branch on Wednesday. “It is too early to comment on the case,” a senior officer of the crime branch said.
Parveen and his two aides Haji Ameen and Syed Durrani were arrested later in the evening. The three have been handed over to the Dongri police station, which is investigating the case.
Khan, who has projects in Dongri and Nagpada, said he had been receiving threatening calls for the past two months asking him to share his profits with Shakeel. “The caller also told me to back out from a few projects or face the consequences,” he said.
Khan said he had registered a case at the Dongri police station. “This is an attempt to bump me off,” he said. “Why are they trying to meddle in my affairs? My life is in danger!”
Parveen was deported from Dubai along with Dawood’s brother Iqbal Kaskar in 2003. He was convicted by an MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court in the Sara Sahara case, in which two commercial complexes were constructed illegally on public land in collusion with BMC officials. Like Kaskar, he was released on bail by the Supreme Court.
Khan has written to the top brass of the Mumbai Police and to deputy chief minister RR Patil complaining about the threatening calls. In his letter, he said he suspected Chhota Shakeel and Tariq Parveen of targeting him. “For the last two months, I have been getting calls daily,” he said. “My phone would even ring in the nights.”
s_poornima@dnaindia.net
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