Mid-Day
 
Mumbai, May 25: The 14-year association of Karachi-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his most trusted lieutenant Shakeel Babubhai Sheikh, alias Chhota Shakeel, is said to have ended.

“Tere ko bhai (Dawood) se kya lena dena b******d, tu mujh se baat kar. Bhai ko hul kya de raha hai c*****a. Mera dhanda alag hai, bhai ka alag.”

This was a threat Shakeel allegedly issued to a businessman a few days ago. The businessman passed on the news to intelligence agencies - that Dawood’s longtime protégé had made it clear he was no longer associated with the don, and was demanding protection money for himself.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Anti-Terrorist Squad) K P Raghuvanshi said, “We are aware of this, but are still trying to confirm it.”

An underworld associate of Shakeel told MiD DAY, “For the past six months, Dawoodbhai has been using satellite phones to communicate with his lieutenants. He is either in Karachi or the UAE. Apparently, both Dawood and Shakeel have not communicated for a fortnight.”

Underworld sources said Dawood’s brother Anees had told Shakeel to investigate the recent accidental death of Dawood’s nephew Danish.

Shakeel apparently took the order lightly, the source said. When Anees told Dawood about this, the don allegedly telephoned Shakeel and said, “Tu apna dekh, main apna dekhta hoon.”

However, some in the intelligence community believe this is a strategic move by Dawood, to distance himself from Shakeel publicly, while in reality remaining very much together.