‘Before killing Rajan, Dawood wanted to talk to him’

MUMBAI:

In June, Shakeel called Malabari and told him Rajan was the target. Fifteen days later, Sohel came to Yusuf’s house where Malabari was also present with pistols and cartridges. The plot to kill Rajan was finalised in August 2000. Fahim Machmach, another Dawood aide, told Malabari that he would be helped by Munna Jhingada.

The next day, Yusuf moved both gangsters to a rented apartment in a nearby town. Shakeel asked Malabari and Jhingada to recce a five-star hotel in Sukhumvit, whose gym Rajan used. The two camped at the hotel, but Rajan did not turn up. On September 8, Yusuf and Jhingada rented a flat in a building next to where Rajan was staying and shifted all weapons there. Yusuf informed others that Gurpreet Singh Bhullar would be part of the attack.

On September 13, Jhingada, Bhullar and Malabari were joined by seven men from Pakistan. The next day, Munna and Mehmood stepped out of the building and spotted Rajan and his aide Rohit Verma walking into a neighbouring apartment.

After he was informed about Rajan’s location, Dawood Ibrahim directed Malabari to first kidnap Rajan. He wanted to speak to Rajan before the latter’s throat was slit by Malabari and Co. Malabari, Munna, Bhullar and another Pakistani national entered the flat. Verma opened the door and was shot at pointblank range. One bullet hit his wife, while his daughter sat in one corner crying. The four D-company shooters fired indiscriminately at the bedroom door, which was locked. Malabari broke open the door and found no one. Rajan had escaped.