Gangster Bharat Nepali alive, confirm intelligence agencies

The news of the ‘killing’ of underworld figure Bharat Nepali last week left the intelligence agencies and the Mumbai crime branch in a tizzy.

They launched into verification of facts as soon as word spread that assailants had shot down the gangster near a mall in Bangkok. It now turns out it was just a rumour spread by the henchmen of fugitive underworld don Chhota Rajan. Nepali is alive and kicking.

Underworld sources close to Nepali have confirmed to the intelligence agencies that the news of his killing was the handiwork of the Rajan gang. He was not pumped with six bullets as rumoured.

The crime branch and the intelligence agencies had refused to comment on the matter earlier as there was no official confirmation regarding the incident or Nepali’s death. The gangster has been on the radar of the Rajan gang after he allegedly bumped off Farid Tanasha, a close associate of the Bangkok-based don.

An underworld source, who was questioned by the agencies, told the police that the Rajan gang was in a state of panic as Nepali had remained incommunicado for some time.

“According to the source, Nepali had stopped all communication and contact with his gang members over the past one month, and this led to fear among the Rajan gang because they did not know what Nepali was up to. To make Nepali surface or to identify his location, the Rajan gang spread this rumour about the killing,” an intelligence officer said.

Another indication why the news of Nepali’s death could be untrue, said an officer, is the underworld gangs always claim responsibility for the killing of any rival gangster. “They like to tom-tom the killing and claim responsibility to establish their supremacy.’’

The officer further said that this was a common ploy used by gangs. “If you see the pattern, every few months there is news in the media about Dawood Ibrahim or Chhota Rajan or Chhota Shakeel’s death or their arrest,” the officer said.

However, as far as Nepali is concerned, what has got the intelligence agencies worried is no one has been able to ascertain his location. “Even underworld sources do not know where he is now. This is an indication that Nepali has gone off the radar and is probably planning and plotting a major hit somewhere,” the officer said.

Sources said Nepali parted ways from Rajan in 2005, however, friction between the two increased after the killing of Tanasha in Mumbai in June this year. Rajan has been planning to avenge Tanasha’s death, said a central intelligence officer.