When friends, whose bond has been strong for so long, breaks up, the people will be shocked. The same must be the case between these two friends.
Has fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim‘s long-time aide Chhota Shakeel parted ways with him? If sources in India’s intelligence agencies are to be believed, he has. He has also moved away from the Clifton area of Karachi, where both had been based ever since they fled Mumbai in the 1980s, and is currently holed up at an unknown location, sources said.
One of the main reasons for the fallout is reportedly an argument that Shakeel, who is in his 50s, recently had with Dawood over the latter’s younger brother Anees Ibrahim’s alleged interference in the gang’s operations. Though Shakeel is known as Dawood’s most trusted lieutenant and has played a major role in handling the gang’s activities for the past three decades, sources claimed that Anees, who also lives in Pakistan with his elder brother, has at various times attempted to gain the upper hand. Despite Dawood making it clear to his sibling that he should not come in the way, Anees reportedly exceeded his brief recently, sparking an argument between the gang leader and Shakeel and prompting Shakeel to stay away after that. Known for meeting his confidants in Dubai, Shakeel recently held a meeting with some aides in an East Asian country, sources noted.
Intelligence Bureau sources said Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence is trying to broker peace between Dawood and Shakeel as it fears the break-up would hit its anti-India activities, including terror activities. ISI succeeded in carrying out the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai with the help of the Dawood gang, and Shakeel is one of the key accused in the case. Also, sources said that as of now, only a few core members of the gang in Mumbai, Pakistan, and Dubai are aware of the latest developments. Those of the core group who are in Mumbai are reportedly worried as gang members here have all along been taking orders from Shakeel on behalf of Dawood and do not know whose word will be final now. Their other reason for worry is that the reported split will affect all their activities, including drug-dealing, the hawala trade, contract killings, and extortion. In the past, gangsters Abu Salem, Chhota Rajan, Fahim Machmach and some others had parted ways with Dawood and formed their own rival gangs. Shakeel, in fact, was the one who orchestrated an attack on Dawood’s arch-rival Rajan in Bangkok in the year 2000.
One gangster deported from Dubai said that it was “next to impossible” that Shakeel would leave Dawood. “Even Dawood’s brothers might ditch him, but not Shakeel. He has been loyal to Dawood all his life. And if there are some differences between them, it could only be because of Anees.”
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