The crime branch of the Mumbai Police will monitor the Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment project to ensure that that the underworld has no influence on the project.
The crime branch of the Mumbai Police will monitor the Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment project to ensure that that the underworld has no influence on the project.
Several gangsters of yesteryears lived in Bhendi Bazaar — the most notable being Dawood Ibrahim. Now, they do not live there, but their relatives, friends, and associates do and Bhendi Bazaar is still in the news — at least with the police.
“The gangs still have their prominence in the locality,” a senior officer said. “We will talk with the authorities and go through each and every paper work related to the project. Our focus will be on the people involved, the source of money, and if anyone from the city’s underworld is influencing the project.”
The state government has approved an 18-acre redevelopment project, which will cost almost Rs2,000 crore. Apart from 2,000 shops, it will involve the construction of 20 buildings ranging from seven to 40 storeys and accommodating 25,000 people.
The crime branch is entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring underworld activities in the city. It is not necessary that the underworld would be interested in improving the locality; officers feel they might try to stall the project.
“The area is synonymous with gangs. It has been their identity for the past few decades,” another officer from the crime branch said. “We will see if the underworld tries to stop the project in any way.
We will have to see if there is any threat perception to anyone associated with the project and take precautionary measures.”
The crime branch, however, is still to send an official communication to the government. “Once the planning is done and we have decided on the measures that need to be taken, we will talk with the government,” the officer said.
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