January 4, 1999
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Heroes, Villains and Zeroes '98 ROMESH SHARMA The D-man overreached himself as the law got the better of him.  For a man
whose real name and origins are clouded in a question mark, Romesh Sharma has gone far.
Too far. The diploma holder in refrigeration graduated from being sidekick to Mumbai don
Varadaraja Mudaliar to Dawood Ibrahim's political pointman in Delhi. It was an association
that helped him grab properties, philander merrily, float a political party, steal a
helicopter and secure a passport for the mother of India's most wanted criminal. He became
the fixer's fixer, a USP that insulated him from the short arm of the law. With friends in
high places, Sharma was the law until he over- reached himself. Now in Tihar Jail and
missing his dogs, farmhouse and home-cooked food, he must be wondering whether there is
any gratitude left in the world. Those whom he wined and serviced disclaim all knowledge
of him. Not surprising. His villainous legend makes him out to be a happy blend of Marquis
de Sade, Goldfinger and Ajit. In real life, he was just a sleazy bully whose strength lay
in gauging people's vulnerabilities and preying on their fears.
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