|
CRIME:
CHHOTA RAJAN
Bangkok's
Dirty Secret
Are Chhota
Rajan and Dawood competitors in an international arms racket running out
of Thailand? The Thai police's investigations throw up vital clues.
By
Sheela Raval in Bangkok
Perhaps
it is the nature of the activity. But it is rare in international espionage,
or for that matter international crime, for an event to be taken at face
value. Last week, underworld don Chhota Rajan was brought to the Southern
Bangkok Criminal Court in Thailand to help Thai police identify the suspects
in the attempt on his life and the murder of Rohit Verma on September
14.
 |
| Chhota
Rajan being brought to a Bangkok court on a stretcher for his testimony
on the September 14 shoot-out |
But Rajan's
appearance in court is not being viewed as a simple case of the law taking
its course. One theory doing the rounds is that Rajan was buying time
before he recovers his health and swings back into action and hence his
presence in court was by design. This theory stems from the speculation
that Rajan is being protected by Indian authorities, who were kept informed
of his movements-although Indian Ambassador to Thailand R. K. Rai denies
this. The other theory is straightforward: it was by default since a laid-up
man couldn't make good his escape.
Perhaps
the truth will prove stranger. While one of Rajan's assailants, Mohammed
Salim, told reporters that there was "enmity between two gangs"
and "we will attempt to kill Chhota Rajan", theorists must contend
with this: Rajan himself told a court on September 28 that "In Thailand
and in India, I have no enemy. I am not aware who they were trying to
kill. There has been no attempt on my life and I don't know any of the
shooters."
What exactly
was the provocation for the botched-up attack, besides previous enmity?
The Thai police believe large stakes in a major arms smuggling and supply
racket could be the cause. Thai and American intelligence officials feel
both gangs were bidders for a big consignment, and the attempt on Rajan
was to keep him out of the game as he had previously sabotaged a D-Company
fake currency racket.
The shoot-out,
it seems, followed a negotiated settlement which failed. It now transpires
that Dawood Ibrahim's aide Chhota Shakeel had been visiting Bangkok regularly
for three months. Shakeel was in fact in Bangkok-with rooms booked at
Hotel Lucky and Hotel Tara by Mohammed Salim (a.k.a. Munna Jinghada of
Jogeshwari, Mumbai)-till the day of the attack, and had reportedly met
Rajan at Tara. Shakeel, however, denies having met Rajan (see interview).
Unmistakable
Implications: The Thai police are themselves mystified. A senior Thai
police official said, "It was a cakewalk for us. The criminals left
behind lots of evidence. I was surprised how eight people with 9 mm guns
failed to kill Kadam (Rajan's alias) when they could kill D'Souza (Verma's
alias)."
Whatever
the reasons for the shooters to walk into the police dragnet, the implications
of Bangkok emerging as a major conduit for arms smuggling across Asia
have not been missed by Thai or Indian authorities. Indeed, Indian intelligence
officials have been keeping a watch over the activities of syndicates
operating in the South-east Asian region following a failed attempt to
dump arms for the LTTE in December 1999. According to Colonel Manthan
Apaivongs, main investigating officer in the shoot-out, "The case
is very serious, involving the security of foreign nations. It is more
than just a shoot-out and it has been handed over to our foreign affairs
department special branch."
Meanwhile
Rajan is likely to be charged for alleged mis-declarations while entering
Thailand. He arrived in January on a tourist visa valid for three months.
In April he applied for a change in his visa status from tourist to business
and sought a licence to start a company called Kadam Export Import.
Rajan may
also be questioned on the Piloo Khan murder case. Khan, a drug peddler
who played a role in the Mumbai blasts of 1993, was killed in Bangkok
in 1994. With the fingerprints of the man in their custody matching Chhota
Rajan's specimen prints provided by the Mumbai police, the Thai police
are clear about his identity. This might be the first step towards his
extradition to India. Again, that could be part of Rajan's design. In
court, Rajan apparently told waiting mediapersons, "I want to go
back to India to surrender."
Will his
wish come true?
Top
|
In
India, youth is marked by impetuosity and prevented from getting ahead.
Elsewhere, of course, the young rule the world, says INDIA TODAY Deputy
Editor Swapan Dasgupta in 
