D-gang set to come out of hibernation?

Underworld sources say attempt on Iqbal Kaskar's life will give Dawood's cronies the opportunity to unleash gangwars to settle personal scores and prove loyalty

UNDERWORLD insiders are fearing a prolonged reprisal by the Dawood gang following the attack on the don's brother, Iqbal Kaskar, on Tuesday.

They say the shootout could shake India's most wanted gangster and his cronies out of their 'hibernation' and make them bump off a slew of suspects.


Sayed Bilal and Indralal Khatri were arrested shortly after the shootout at Bhendi Bazaar. Iqbal Kaskar


Sources from the underworld also said that D-gang members could misuse the incident to kill rival gang members to gain standing within the gang.

This may result in a killing spree by the underworld largely to settle personal scores under the guise of proving their loyalty to the gangster.

What is muddying the waters further is the fact that no gang or individual has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack, leaving the D-gang members to make their own deductions.

Intelligence officials say attempts could be made on members of the Chhota Rajan gang, and his lieutenants Vicky Malhotra and Umaid, who are among the suspects. Umaid is wanted in connection with a series of murders, including that of informer Irfan Chindi.

Infighting?
One theory doing the rounds is that Asif Zaveri, the bodyguard who was killed in the shootout, had been allegedly threatening a few builders for extortion money.

Police officers say that he may have been doing so without the knowledge of his bosses and may have been killed by a disgruntled member of the Dawood gang itself.

"The fact that Asif was killed and Kaskar was spared is very mysterious. Only a flight of stairs separated the assailants and Kaskar and yet they let him live.

It is either the work of a D-gang member or a rival gang wanted to send out the message that they could have killed him but allowed him to live," said a senior police officer, on condition of anonymity.

Kaskar, meanwhile, will be under continuous police surveillance something most gangsters would give an arm and a leg to stay away from.

Cops say the surveillance will hurt his efforts to corner a sizeable share of the illegal income coming from construction in the Dongri-Nagpada-Agripada belt.