Police on toes to ensure no mafia bloodbath in city

MUMBAI: Chhota Rajan's bastions in Chembur and Ghatkopar, where several members of his family live, are on edge following rival gangster Chhota Shakeel's threat to exact revenge for the killing of an aide of Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar.
Though Rajan's kin claim no threat to life, officers at Pant Nagar and Tilak Nagar police stations say they have beefed up vigilance in the neighbourhoods as a preventive measure, and provided cops with walkie-talkies.Police fear that the Dawood gang might try to kill someone close to the Rajan clan on his home turf, someone who has a role in criminal activities. A tit-for-tat killing, police dread, may throw the city into a long spiral of bloodshed. As a precaution, patrolling has been increased in Chembur, although Rajan's family members have not made a request to the authorities. Also, all suspected members of Shakeel and Rajan gangs are being kept under watch and movements of possible targets observed.
On Tuesday, Iqbal Kaskar's bodyguard and driver Arif Sayyed, aka Bael, was gunned down at Dawood's stronghold in Pakmodia Street. A man identifying himself as Rajan, thereafter, told a TV news channel over phone that he had known of the murder plan but not ordered it. Later, Shakeel reportedly called another news channel, threatening to target Rajan's family.
Rajan's politician brother Deepak Nikhalje is said to be living at Tilak Nagar in Chembur, while Rajan's wife Sujata reportedly spends time between different houses in Ghatkopar and neighbouring areas. A police officer told TOI that the precise whereabouts of the two are never disclosed.
Deepak were unavailable for comment. A party associate of Deepak maintained: "He is in public life and doesn't have any criminal record. Why should anyone target him? One should not compare him with Iqbal Kaskar. Deepak is busy organizing a political rally." On Friday TOI visited Deepak's bungalow at Tilak Nagar, but the gate was shut. "We have deployed two groups of beat marshals on two exit road of the area. It help us to keep watch and pass a message in an emergency," said a police officer with Tilak Nagar station.