Subdued, for now

Arunkumar Bhatt

ABU SALEM'S escape from the law has not resulted in his gang exploding with joy. Neither has the victory of music director Nadeem in the extradition proceedings in the Gulshan Kumar murder case. The Mumbai underworld is down even if not yet out.

Insiders say Abu's narrow escape in Sharjah recently was a jolt to different gangs. ``We know a don will not be so lucky next time.'' The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon have changed the world for the underworld too.

Hameed Atiq, holding a Pakistani passport, was frolicking in Sharjah with a Bollywood starlet when the UAE police swooped on him at the instance of Interpol. Atiq was none other than Abu Salem, an associate of don Dawood Ibrahim. He is wanted in India for a host of extortion crimes and contract killings, including the murder of music producer Gulshan Kumar. Two days later, he was let off. The documents that New Delhi finally submitted to the UAE authorities would have not only established his real identity but also provided them with his criminal record.

This is a repeat performance for the UAE police. In 1997, the Indian Government presented UAE with documents showing that Ahmed Azmi in Sharjah was actually Abu Salem and requested his arrest. They did arrest him but then let him off saying the evidence was not sufficient.

Once, the UAE police had arrested Anees Ibrahim, brother of Dawood Ibrahim, in Bahrain. India sent police officers to bring him home. They even interrogated him in custody. But instead of extraditing him, the UAE police sent him to Dubai - telling the Indians that he was wanted there in a forgery case!

The difference between 1997 and this time is that now the UAE police are trying to convince their Indian counterparts that they have changed and do want to cooperate. For, Interpol, which keeps dossiers on transnational racketeers, seems to have opened an informal one on the UAE police. Their professional integrity has come under serious scrutiny in the changed world.

The dons are increasingly realising that the number of safe havens for them is coming down - the changing mosaic of international relations could make an unstable `host' Government turn them in. A good deal of the heat on terrorist groups is getting transferred to the gangs engaged in drug-trafficking and arms-running because their close connections are good conductors.

According to a source, terrorist groups depend on transnational criminal gangs such as `D Company' for raising funds. Their financial networks are common and the word `hawala' has crept into the glossary of even the American FBI.

The clout of the Mumbai underworld had started to dim even before September 11. After the attack on Chhota Rajan by Chhota Shakeel's hitmen, it was feared that gang wars would erupt in the city as Rajan's men tried to even scores. A major crime such as the murder of a top politician or film personality, it was thought, would be attempted by Chhota Shakeel after the arrest of Bharat Shah and Naseem Rizvi, producers of Chori Chori Chupke Chupketo prove to the police and the underworld that he still called the shots. Nothing of the sort happened. Even the demolition of an unauthorised ``benami'' building of Dawood's went unchallenged.

Recently, only a half-hearted attempt was made to threaten the cast of Lagaanand some film actors. These days, the `bhais' as they are called have swallowed their pride and taken to damage- control rather than retaliation. The principal reason is that money- spinning businesses are in the dumps and can no longer provide the gangs much protection money.

And the police pressure is mounting. The rising number of encounter deaths has produced a sort of counter-terror. Gangs find it difficult to recruit loyal members ready to carry out contract killing on a telephonic order.

This is further compounded by growing cooperation among the police of different cities and States. Recently, a Mumbai gangster was shot by the police in Hyderabad and another was nabbed in Bangalore. The police are not only sharing intelligence but also methodologies, according to Mr. M. N. Singh, Police Commissioner of Mumbai. It is being increasingly appreciated by different police forces that the Mumbai underworld is not confined to the city, particularly in view of its organic relations with terrorists.

Post-September 11, political patronage has been reduced for the gangs. The number of people seeking the underworld's help to settle their disputes has also come down. More and more people are mustering the courage to report extortion threats.

The boom is over. So like any prudent businessman, the dons are busy conserving their assets. They are struggling to maintain the size of their gangs and their clout. They have to provide for the families of those in jail and those killed in gang wars and/or police encounters.

Mr. Singh believes the dons are not in a position to pose any serious challenge to the state and society, at least for the time being.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Opinion
Previous : Arms and the agent
Next     : All for themselves ...