Police used me as a bait to reach my dad, says Lakdawala's daughter

What does it mean to be a gangsters daughter Alleged owner of a fake identity the 23yearold daughter of underworld gangster Ejaz Lakdawala Shifa Advani was accused of trying to flee to Nepal with her oneyearold kid on a passport allegedly made with fake papers She was also charged with extortion dating back to 2005 when she was eightAfter spending over a monthandahalf in prison Shifa speaks to midday about how she came to know of her fathers life of crime the identity mdash deemed fake by Mumbai police mdash he gave her and how she is being made to pay for Lakdawalas crimesWhat is your real name Sonia Advani or Shifa AdvaniMy parents named me Sonia Advani to protect me After marrying Shahid Shaikh I changed my name to Shifa I have all the papers I didnt forge any documents I am a lawabiding citizenHow do you perceive the clean chit in the extortion caseI am thankful to police who finally realised that I have nothing to do with the extortion racket I had been telling this to the officers from day one but nobody listened to me I just trusted Allah to save me The police took all my mobile phones but found nothing I cant describe what I went through in the past two months leaving my oneyearold child behind I am thankful to my inlaws who stood by meThere is still the case of the fake passportI did nothing wrong the charges will be dropped I cant be punished for my gangster fathers crimes I have all the original documents How is it my fault if my parents named me Sonia Advani I was told my fathers name is Manish Advani I converted to Islam for my marriage and changed my first name to Shifa All my documents have the same nameWhat were the circumstances of your detention and the consequent arrestI was flying to Nepal to meet my father mother and younger brother It was the first trip after my marriage I have always used the passport with the name Shifa Advani On December 27 I was stopped by immigration officials saying there is some domestic case against me I denied the claim and told them my husband came to drop me at the airport Later officers from the AntiExtortion Cell arrested me saying I have obtained the passport using forged documents When they found nothing they booked me in an extortion caseDo you believe you have been framed in a false case to get to your fatherI dont know whether he surrendered or was held I can only tell you what I feel mdash just because I am his daughter my family my child and I are being used as baitDid the police ever reach out to you before your arrestShifa AdvaniThe police never reached out to me If they wanted information they could have asked me I understand they are doing their job but is it my fault that I am Ejaz Lakdawalas daughter I have been meeting him speaking to him due to love and affection He is my father and he did take care of meWhen did you come to know of your fathers real name and professionIn 2002 my father was attacked in Bangkok I remember a duo on a twowheeler firing at us He took me in his arms after the attack He had bullet wounds on his neck and right shoulder A tabeez amulet he was wearing prevented a bullet from hitting his chest I remember him being covered in blood I was five years old I remember asking doctors about the wound on the neck they told me he wont survive Even if he did he was expected to lose his voice After this incident I began questioning my parents about the killers why they wanted my father dead My mother revealed the truth when I was eight years old I read about him on Google and in newspapers I also came to know he was attacked by his rival Dawood Ibrahims gangI have had a troubled life since then I visited Mumbai with my mother to meet my grandparents in Mahim My mother belongs to a Sindhi family and 25 years ago she met my father They liked each other and got marriedDid you ever confront your father about his crimesYes my mother and I would tell him that his profession will get us all killed someday Nothing was in my hands I could not even get my father in trouble as he loved me a lot He never did anything in front of us we got to know of his crimes only from the papersDid you and your mother Rekha ask him to quitEjaz Lakdawala FILE PICObviously we always asked him to lead a normal life But he has been involved in this since childhood He is from Dongri and belongs to a middle class family He met the wrong people and got involved in criminal activities I am not justifying what he does He is paying for it However to me my father was a gentleman he took care of us He may be whatever he is for the world but he is a nice human being at heartHow would your father react when you questioned himHe would say nothingWhen was the last time you met your fatherI spoke to him five days before my arrest and met him last in Nepal two years agoWhere are your mother and younger brother nowI dont know I have not spoken to them since my arrestTell us about your childhood and schooling in MumbaiI was born in Mumbai I completed my preprimary education from an international school in Santacruz We moved to Nepal after the attack I studied hotel management thereDo you think your family is suffering because of your fathers sinsHe always knew that this would happen someday He has many enemies who are after his life so he could not live a normal life and continued doing what he didCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates