Bhai sets fielding for Modi

Dawood Ibrahim has hired four assassins to get Lalit Modi. Police sources say the threat against the IPL boss is very real

March 22, 3.30 pm, IST
Talk time: 2 minutes

Intelligence agencies intercept a call to one of Dawood's four unidentified hirelings in Mumbai, hired to bump off IPL boss Lalit Modi.

With IPL matches beginning in less in South Africa in less than a week, the matter of security for Modi assumes significance

Underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and his right-hand-man Chhota Shakeel are believed to be targeting Lalit Modi during the matches.u00a0Mumbai police officers have already tightened security measures around Modi's residence in Juhu. Cops from South Africa and Pune, who will not come on record, have intercepted calls that give them reason to believe that the threat is very real.

Electronic surveillance records intercepted by Intelligence Bureau indicate that Chhota Shakeel has asked his shooters to target Modi in Mumbai or South Africa. "Usko khatam kar do India ya South Africa mein,"u00a0 is the diktat.

The interception has sent the IB into a huddle. They fear it is difficult to arrange for Modi's security in South Africa, making him even more vulnerable.

A copy of the intelligence report has been forwarded to Mumbai police commissioner's office on March 24 last month. The report has already triggered-off a manhunt for the suspects.

Sources in IB informed that Shakeel has instructed four men to carry out the task of targeting Modi. They appear to be middle-level organisers and their identities have been withheld as it might compromise theu00a0 operation.

Intelligence sources suspect that Dawood and his key lieutenant Shakeel have been forced to take this drastic step after Modi initiated the move to prevent Pakistaniu00a0 players from playing in India. This was a fall-out of the Mumbai terror attacks late last year.

The theory doing

the rounds in the intelligence circles is also that members of the D Company were offendedu00a0 after the venue of the IPL matches was shifted to South Africa. Dawood and his associates would lose their links with members of bettingu00a0 syndicates in India.

The impression that has gained grounds in betting circles is that Dawood's cronies will not be able to rub shoulders with some tainted cricketers in South Africa. This will come in the way of using underworld influence to set up games.

Regular contactsu00a0 between bookies and tainted cricketers are necessary as most bets are laid in sessions, in common parlance betting results up to five overs. Sometimes, it is important to contact a cricketer at very short notice so that he can be coerced to under-perform.

Dawood's betting interest in Mumbai and a few other centers in the country can be gauged from the fact that one of his Mumbai-based lieutenants Chote Mian defaulted after losing around Rs 100 crore during the South Africa-Australia match on December 28 last year. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Bookies say they have to honour the bet after losing. Members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang rarely do so.

Insiders informed that the murder of Mohammed Irfan Maqbool Khan alias Chindi could be linked to recovery of dues from the D Company. Chindi's associates have alleged that Chote Mian orchestrated the killing of the informer-turned-businessman (Chindi)u00a0 from Central Mumbai.

Chote Mian is considered close to Pawan Jaipur and Mukesh Jaipur who could be involved in running in Dawood's betting syndicate in the country.

Another theory doing the rounds is Modi could have antagonised an influential politician in the state. Members of the D Company could be avenging revenge.

When contacted, Lalit Modi in South Africa said, "I do not want to discuss anything on this issue," and disconnected the phone line.

Why Modi
> Modi initiated the move to prevent Pakistani players from playing in India after Mumbai's 26/11 terror attacks.
> The move to SA cost Dawood the money he would have harvested from his betting syndicate in India
>u00a0 Modi may have upset an influential politician and Dawood is exacting revenge