Sources said they believe applying constant pressure on the kith and kin of the underworld members would bring them to their knees.
The Mumbai police have decided to hit on-the-run gangsters where it hurts the most. In an attempt to bring foreign-based criminals to budge, the police are now targeting their relatives back home. Sources said they believe applying constant pressure on the kith and kin of the underworld members would bring them to their knees.
The instance of Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, is just an example.
Confirming the innovative strategy, a senior police officer told DNA: “A meteoric rise in gangland activities around various realty projects in the city has stressed the action on various relatives of underworld gangsters. Haseena Parkar’s case, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, is an instance of this method. Several slum redevelopment schemes in key localities are allegedly being actively sought out by her using Dawood’s name and the gang’s musclepower.”
The police said relatives of gangsters attracted police actions when they found it difficult to resist the lure of easy money by just dropping the name of their more “infamous relatives”.
“Take the case of Chhota Rajan’s brother Deepak Nikhalje or his wife Sujatha, both of whom were arrested and booked under the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in December 2005.Deepak and his foreign-based brother publicly displayed their animosity. However, the police case proved Deepak worked closely with his brother’s wife Sujatha and extorted money from city-based developers,” he added.
“There is an unwritten code of steering clear of the relatives of rival gang members in the underworld. The police department often finds soft targets, like relatives, useful to curb their activities. For instance, Chhota Rajan’s activities have gradually scaled down after his wife and brother were arrested as his main focus has now shifted to get the kin released from prison. Still, he extorts money claiming he needs it to finance his wife’s release,” a reputed encounter specialist told DNA.
Dawood henchman Chhota Shakeel was also similarly targeted with the arrest of his one-time girlfriends Rubina Sayyed and Tabassum Shaikh. Suresh Manchekar’s wife Supriya and mother-in-law Laxmi were arrested after they were allegedly found carrying on his gang’s activity after he was killed.
Even political parties resorted to exploiting the emotional link that gangster’s enjoy with their relatives to make them toe to a particular line. Arun Gawli’s wife Asha was arrested in a criminal case during the reign of the Shiv Sena — BJP in Maharashtra to dissuade him from launching his political party.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}