Eye on Dawood, aim at Iqbal?

Attempt on Iqbal Kaskar's life could be a ploy to force Dawood Ibrahim to surface from hibernation, reveal intelligence sources

As soon as images of the shootout at Bhindi Bazar hit the headlines across the city, telephones all over the continent began ringing fervently.

Each caller wanted to know only one thing what is D's reaction?


Iqbal Kaskar escaped unhurt when two armed shooters opened fire near his residence in Bhindi Bazar on Tuesday

Two armed men on a bike had opened fire at Dawood Ibrahim's younger brother Iqbal Kaskar near his residence at Bhindi Bazar. Though Iqbal escaped unhurt, his bodyguard took the brunt of the bullets.

In the mayhem that followed, the shooters were apprehended in the crowded street by the mob that gathered at the sound of the gunshots.

Not a target?
Asif Zaveri may have succumbed to the bullet injuries, but intelligence sources believe that he may have just been a decoy. Sources revealed that the intention of the shooters was not to kill Iqbal Kaskar, but in fact, to send a strong message to Dawood that his family was no longer safe.

"We are checking all possible angles. The killing points to a group which has very strong capabilities," remarked Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Himanshu Roy.

Even though the shooters had direct access to Iqbal's apartment on the first floor, they did not make any attempt to storm it after gunning down his bodyguard Asif Zaveri.

Police investigation indicates that it was just a flight of stairs that separated Iqbal from the shooters. Yet, they chose to escape from the spot.

The theory gaining grounds is that the shooters were used to send a clear message that Iqbal could be killed, but his life was spared.

The other theory doing the rounds is that Asif Zaveri was involved in a huge real estate deal without the knowledge of the bosses. The police are investigating this angle too.

Dawood, who along with his trusted lieutenant, Chhota Shakeel has been lodged safely in the custody of the ISI, has been operating his multi-million dollar underworld business from across the border.

Though there are over a dozen cases pending against Dawood in several courts across the country, the fugitive has never been apprehended by the police in the last two decades.

Dawood is India's most wanted fugitive for planning and executing the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that killed 183 people and injured over 800 people.

Operation Dawood
Various gangs, including his arch-nemesis Chhota Rajan, have made many attempts on his life. However, Dawood has almost always been a step ahead of his rivals.



Underworld sources said Indian intelligence had earlier pulled of an operation by bumping off Dawood's key associate and Nepali Member of Parliament Mirza Dilshad Baig with the help of Rajan's henchmen Farid Tanasha and Balu Dokre at Kathmandu on June 7, 1998.

Rajan had earlier made dozens of attempts on the life of his former mentor Dawood Ibrahim with the help of his lieutenant Farid Tanasha.

The killer squad had to abort the operations due to the ISI security cover around Dawood. Some of the shooters in Tanasha's team include Bunty Pandey, Vicky Malhotra, Balu Dokre, Ejaz Lakdawala and Ejaz Pathan.

Bin Laden blow
After the US seals hunted down and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the ISI is believed to have moved Dawood to a secure location.

Intelligence sources reveal that the attempt on Iqbal's life could possibly be a ploy to force Dawood out of his hideout. In the past, Dawood has reacted viciously to any attempt made on the life of his kin and his key gang members.

Dawood launched a blood-war in Mumbai after a rival gang bumped off his brother in the 80s. The bloodshed ended only after the entire gang was wiped out in a series of shootouts and murders.

The fear in the underworld is that a similar all-out gang war could be launched once again in retaliation to the shootout at Bhindi Bazar.

Nepali shooter
The involvement of a Nepali shooter has raised doubts that it could be the handiwork of the intelligence network. Members of the Chhota Rajan gang trained a large number of unemployed youth as sharp shooters.

In fact, some of the Nepali shooters were used successfully in gunning down Dawood's right-hand-man Sharad Shetty in Dubai on January 18, 2001 by rival gangs.

Some of these trained shooters have even made trips to Pakistan to close in on India's most wanted gangster.