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Maharashtra: Experts, politicos jeer NIA’s ‘measly bounty’ for don Dawood & Co.

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Dawood

 In a bolt from the blue, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently announced a bounty for the absconder mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar – declared a ‘Global Terrorist’ – and his close confidant Chhota Shakeel and three other infamous gangsters, with a total take-away of Rs 90-lakh.

The rewards are: Rs 25 lakh for the ‘D-Company chairman’ Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Rs 20-Lakh for his No. 2 Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, plus Rs 15 lakh each for Anees Ibrahim Kaskar, Javel Patel alias Javed Chikna and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon alias the equally dreaded Tiger Memon.

The curriculum vitae of these ‘inglourious mafiosi’ describes them as “involved in various terrorism/criminal activities such as arms smuggling, Narco terrorism, underworld criminal syndicate, money laundering, circulation of FICN (fake Indian currency notes), unauthorised possession/acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds”.

The NIA missive also said they work in active collaboration with international terrorist organisations like Lashkar-E-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-E-Mohammed (JeM) and Al-Qaeda (AQ), and assured that the identity of the informer would be kept ‘secret’.

The proclamation was hardly greeted with cheers in Mumbai but experts, politicos and commoners found it too funny to be true with some comparing it as an ‘April Fool Joke’ played six months in advance.

“This has shown our government and union home department in a poor light all over the world, indicates the utter ineptitude of the NIA and its abject surrender before Dawood,” said Shirish Inamdar, security expert and ex-Additional Deputy Commissioner of the sensitive State Intelligence Department (SID).

Shiv Sena Spokesperson Dr. Manisha Kayande termed it as a “cruel joke” inflicted six months before April 1 on the masses reeling under inflation, joblessness and other burning problems.

“What is the sudden provocation for these rewards… Is it to encash public sentiments before the upcoming Gujarat elections and the 2024 polls, drum up ‘desh-bhakti’ and create patriotic passions to catch votes,” demanded Dr. Kayande.

Slamming the move, Congress state General Secretary Sachin Sawant said Prime Minister Modi kept criticising the UPA Government on this issue and even boasted of his ideas to follow the US-Model used to eliminate Osama Bin Laden.

“Is this another ‘master stroke’ of the Modi regime? Why did Modi not ask the ex-PM Nawaz Sharif when he dropped in for his birthday celebrations (Dec. 2015). Better still, ask the BJP Minister Girish Mahajan who attended a wedding (May 2017) in the Dawood clan,” Sawant said sharply.

Senior marketing consultant S. P. Menon from Mumbai said the piddly reward for the ‘menacing five’ must have amused even streetside toughies.

“What if these same 5 absconders declare a counter-reward of Rs 90-crore to any potential dare-devils for not revealing their whereabouts…? Why can’t India emulate the drone-style attacks deployed by the US,” wondered Menon.

Inamdar said that all these goons have left India over 35 years ago, they are functioning through proxies or henchmen and are said to be mostly leading a retired life and the ‘rewards scheme’ may turn out to be disaster.

A former police officer said that one of the Kaskar siblings, Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar, who was arrested by Thane Police in 2017 and still remains in custody, had disclosed the whereabouts of his brother (Dawood) and other members of D-Company in Pakistan, and how they are under the watch of that country’s agencies.

As per Iqbal’s revelations, Dawood was in a state of depression after his sole son Moin Nawaz decided against joining the family business empire and chose to become a ‘maulana’ (cleric-cum-religious preacher), (IANS – 25-11-2017), and later, even Chhota Shakeel’s son Mubashir donned a cap, grabbed a rosary, qualified as a ‘Hafiz-E-Quran’ and became a Muslim preacher. (IANS – 26-08-2018).

These and other titbits tumbled out during Iqbal’s intense grilling sessions by Thane Police, while a media team which went to Pakistan a few years ago, had even ‘viewed and photographed’ the don’s purported home in a Karachi suburb.

Crime

Man hacked to death by bike-borne men at traffic signal in Bengaluru

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Bengaluru, Aug 23: An incident in which a man was hacked to death in full public view at a traffic signal near the Madiwala underpass came to light on Sunday, raising fresh concerns over the safety of residents in Bengaluru.

The victim, identified as Suhail, a resident of Mangammanapalya and a medical shop owner, was attacked by a group of assailants as he was on his way from Madiwala towards Koramangala on Saturday night.

The incident occurred late at night when Suhail had stopped his motorcycle amid a traffic jam on the main road. Four men who arrived on two motorcycles allegedly attacked him with swords before fleeing the spot. Suhail suffered severe blood loss and died at the scene.

Police suspect that the murder could be an act of revenge linked to an earlier murder case in Bandepalya.

On January 13, a man named Shabbir was murdered in Bandepalya, and Suhail’s brothers Kaleem, Nazir and another brother were allegedly involved in that case. Investigators suspect that Suhail may have been targeted in retaliation, despite having no connection with the Shabbir murder case.

Police sources said Suhail had no criminal background and was not an accused in the earlier case. His murder is therefore suspected to have been driven by hostility towards his brothers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Mohammad Sujeetha, CCB DCP Haribabu and Joint Commissioner of Police Ramesh Banoth visited the crime scene and inspected the spot.

Following the murder, Suhail’s younger brother Nazir reportedly arrived at the scene and vowed revenge. He said Suhail was not merely his elder brother but was like a father to him, and warned that he would not spare those responsible for his killing.

Police suspect that the assailants had been planning the murder for several days and had been closely monitoring Suhail’s movements. According to preliminary information, the attackers allegedly followed him and executed a pre-planned attack while he was travelling on his motorcycle.

After the murder, the assailants reportedly abandoned the weapons at the scene and escaped.

Three special teams have been formed to track down the suspects. Police have seized the CCTV DVR from the area and are examining footage to identify the attackers and trace their movements before and after the crime.

Investigators are also trying to establish why Suhail, who lived in Mangammanapalya and operated a medical shop in Bommanahalli, travelled towards Madiwala. Police are examining who last contacted him before he left the medical shop and other details surrounding his movements.

The brazen murder in a busy public area has triggered concerns over safety in the city, particularly as the attackers allegedly assaulted the victim in front of members of the public before fleeing the scene. Police are continuing their investigation to establish the exact motive and identify all those involved.

When asked whether any accused have been arrested in connection with the case, DCP South East Mohammad Sujeetha declined to comment. Further investigation is on.

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Crime

Shillong violence: Army, RAF conduct flag march as Assam-Meghalaya tensions persist

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Shillong, Aug 23: Security was intensified across Shillong as the Army and Rapid Action Force (RAF) conducted a flag march in the Meghalaya capital following violence during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) rally on August 19, officials said.

The security buildup came on Saturday amid heightened tensions after vehicles carrying tourists from Assam were allegedly attacked during a KSU black-flag protest.

Several vehicles were vandalised, with their windows and windshields smashed, while some tourists were reportedly injured.

Public property was also damaged during the violence.

The Centre has approved the deployment of five companies of central armed forces in Meghalaya to assist the state police in maintaining law and order amid the prevailing situation.

Meanwhile, Assam Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora and Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar held a high-level meeting with senior officials of both states in Guwahati on Saturday to assess the situation and discuss steps to prevent further escalation.

The meeting came against the backdrop of tensions following the Shillong violence and protests at Jorabat, the key entry point between Assam and Meghalaya.

Bora termed the Shillong incident “unwarranted and unfortunate” and said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had acted promptly after the violence.

He said Assam CM Sarma spoke to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who subsequently asked Dhar to engage with Assam and explore measures to restore peace and ensure smooth movement between the neighbouring states.

Bora appealed to the people in both states to maintain peace and harmony, stressing the longstanding ties between Assam and Meghalaya.

The Shillong incident triggered protests by motor vehicle workers’ unions in Assam.

Demonstrations at Jorabat began the following day, with protesters stopping Meghalaya-registered vehicles from entering Assam and, in some cases, forcing them to turn back.

The protests continued for a third day on Friday, with demonstrators seeking compensation for vehicles damaged in Shillong and an apology from the authorities.

Heavy deployment of police and reserve personnel was made at Jorabat to prevent any fresh violence.

Three senior KSU office-bearers — president Raymond Kharjana, vice president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben Najiar — were arrested late Wednesday in connection with the violence.

The situation has also prompted sharper reactions in Assam.

The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) called for an economic blockade and warned of action against Meghalaya residents in Assam if attacks on Assamese people in Shillong continued.

With additional security forces deployed in Shillong and police maintaining a strong presence at Jorabat, authorities in both states are now working to contain tensions, prevent retaliatory incidents and ensure uninterrupted movement of people and vehicles.

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Crime

Delhi Police arrest three in illicit liquor supply case

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New Delhi, Aug 22: In a major crackdown on the illegal transportation and supply of liquor, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) team of the North-East District of Delhi Police arrested three persons and recovered 778 quarters of Haryana-marked illicit liquor along with two taxis allegedly used to transport the consignment.

The action was carried out on August 21, 2026, after Head Constable Deepak, along with Head Constable Anuj and Constable Mukesh, was conducting area patrolling duty near Maujpur Chowk.

At around 6:30 a.m., the police team received information from a secret informer that two taxis carrying illicit liquor from Haryana would arrive near Seelampur Metro Station. The taxis’ numbers were also shared by the informer.

Acting on the information, the police team reached the location. At around 7:30 a.m., both taxis arrived and were intercepted. Three persons were apprehended, while another individual reportedly managed to flee from the spot.

A search of the vehicles led to the recovery of 399 quarters of illicit liquor from taxi HR55AX3345 and 379 quarters from taxi DL1ZD5015, taking the total recovery to 778 quarters.

The arrested accused have been identified as Vinit Chauhan (35), owner of taxi bearing number — HR55AX3345; Akash Sharma (25), driver of taxi bearing number — DL1ZD5015; and Vishal (23), who was allegedly accompanying the other accused.

During interrogation, the accused reportedly disclosed information about the source of the illicit liquor. Police are verifying the information and conducting further investigation to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the supply chain.

A case has been registered as FIR No. 288/26 under Section 33 of the Delhi Excise Act at Seelampur Police Station. Police said none of the three arrested accused has any previous criminal involvement on record. Further investigation is underway, according to police.

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