17 December,2010 07:12 AM IST | | J Dey
City businessmen could face renewed extortion threats as Dawood and arrested gangster Sajid Batliwalla look to eat into each other*s territories, say underworld sources
After shocks emanating from the arrest of gangster Sajid Batliwalla could radically alter the landscape of the Mumbai underworld in the coming few days, say underworld sources.
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The gangster was arrested from Mira Road on Wednesday in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Ramdas Nayak and a few others in the mid-1990s.
Batliwalla, who had a falling out with Dawood Ibrahim in 1998 (see box), is expected to disclose the names and whereabouts of Dawood*s henchmen to the police.
Dawood and his right-hand man Chhota Shakeel are planning to retaliate by wresting control of Batliwalla*s territories.
This move could spell trouble for businessmen in and around Borivli, Dahisar and Mira Road areas that are under Batliwalla*s *protection* for they may now begin to receive extortion calls from the Dawood camp.
"Batliwalla, in the meantime, will gain mileage from his past association with deceased contract killer Feroz Konkani and flex his muscle from prison.
He is planning to float his own gang and, like many other gangsters, work from within the prison confines as he will have not have to worry about being bumped off in an encounter," said an underworld source.
He added that Batliwalla and his hirelings could cross swords with some of Dawood*s relatives over sharing the booty from redevelopment projects in Dongri and Bori Mohalla in South Mumbai.
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Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy said Batliwalla is being interrogated to bust his entire network.
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Batliwalla*s cronies in the western suburbs have, in the meantime, launched a witch-hunt for the informer who tipped off encounter specialist Praful Bhosle about the gangster*s new identity and whereabouts.
Rivalry
A former D-Company member, Batliwalla incurred Dawood*s wrath in 1998 when he helped contract killer Feroz Konkani supercede Chhota Shakeel to stake claim to the post of the second-in-command in the gang.
Shakeel and his henchmen killed Konkani at Dawood*s behest and Batliwalla escaped certain death by seeking asylum from Dawood*s brother Anees.