Nagpur: Three threat calls made to Union minister Nitin Gadkari's office in Nagpur on Saturday sent security agencies in a tizzy. The calls were apparently from the Dawood Ibrahim gang which demanded an extortion money of ₹100 crores from Mr Gadkari, who is handling highway and infrastructure contracts worth thousands of crores.
The caller threatened to blow up Gadkari if the money was not given. Gadkari came to Mumbai last night and returned to his hometown Nagpur today. Reliable sources said the caller has been identified.
Three Calls Within an Hour
The caller made calls at 11.25 a.m., 11.32 a.m. and 12.32 pm. to his office near Radisson hotel in Nagpur. The agencies are particularly worried given the close links between D Gang and Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence. Director general of police Rajnish Sheth told FPJ "Investigations are going on and at this stage I can't tell you anything about the caller and his background." It is learnt that the police are not inclined to dismiss it as a prank.
"The fact that the caller claimed to speak on behalf of Pakistan-based Dawood Ibrahim shows the brazennessa of the don," an official observed. In the past, intelligence agencies had reported that D Company was planning to target senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. But the direct threat sent to Gadkari's office is particularly worrying the agencies. Political rivalry is ruled out since Gadkari is known to be an amiable leader popular within the BJP and also the opposition.
In the past D Gang had called big builders and businessmen and extorted huge monies from them. However, such calls had reduced in the past few years. Saturday's incident could be a sign that the gang is rearing its head again. Sources said the ISI has gone rougue following the deep political and economic crises in Pakistan and it could be prompting Dawood to carry out sensational hits in India. Security has been beefed up for the minister.
Dawood's Businesses in Mumbai Real Estate
Sources said if the threat calls were indeed from 'D' Gang then it is high time a crackdown was ordered on its operations in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and other places in India. It is well known that Dawood has huge stakes in the real estate market in Mumbai. Through frontmen he has built lakhs of square feet of residential and commercial properties. One such property is close to the Anti Terrorist Squad headquarters at Nagpada. Dawood's close aide Chhota Shakeel himself has turned a builder with projects going on in Bhendi Bazar area.
In 'B' ward of the BMC several illegal high rises have been built by the gang with the connivance of certain civic staffers. "The government has details of all activities of the gang. The need is for political will to finish it permanently in the manner in which the then government had wiped out the Varadaraj Mudaliar gang," a police official said.
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