Was Dawood aide Shakeel behind Chhota rajan arrest?

Underworld don Chhota Rajan’s sudden arrest in Indonesia’s Bali was not because he ran out of luck, but if sources to be believed, Rajan needed a place to hide himself with Mumbai underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Chhota Shakeel hot on his trail.

According to Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, Mumbai Police,Rajan tamely surrendered to the law in Indonesia on Sunday because Shakeel had vowed to murder him before Diwali.

Rajan’s falling health which is believed to be the prime reason for his ‘surrender’- suffers from kidney failure, and has been on the run ever since he split from the Dawood gang after the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

Riteshwar had played a crucial role in the killing of Sharad Shetty, the D-Company’s third-in-command, in 2003. Shetty’s death was a major blow to Dawood, as he was the money brains of the group.

Police officer says, Rajan should have known, however, that Riteshwar had stayed in Dubai after Sharad Shetty’s killing, and it could not have been possible without Shakeel’s blessings. “It was natural for Rajan to trust Anil Riteshwar.”

According to the sources, Rajan, who has four or five homes in Australia, would shift from one to the other. This habit helped him escape yet another Shakeel attempt on his life, about two months ago. Riteshwar betrayed Rajan to Shakeel who then sent a team of assassins to execute the murder. Shakeel’s killer team even visited the house where Rajan had met Riteshwar.

Shakeel’s first attempt to eliminate Rajan was at a boat party in Dubai before the 1993 blasts.

Rajan got wind of the plot in time, and managed to make Dawood stay Shakeel’s hand. The blasts happened soon after, and Rajan got away to Bangkok as the leader of his own new ‘patriotic’ gang.

Other henchmen weren’t as faithful. Mohan Kotian, one of Rajan’s own, gave away his Bangkok location to Shakeel and his men. Shakeel sent a team of trained assassins led by Munna Jhingada to the Thailand capital in 2000.

Rajan’s luck held, and their well-planned attack was unsuccessful. Rajan, with the help of Santosh Shetty and Bharat Nepali, managed to later escape from the custody of the Bangkok police.