Mumbai gangsters, rural dacoits form joint venture in Pune!

Mumbai gangsters, rural dacoits form joint venture in Pune!
PRASANNAKUMAR KESKAR

PUNE, FEB 20: "Adversely affected'' by the ongoing industrial recession and the police crackdown, some gangsters from Mumbai are reported to be relying on dacoits and other ``local small-timers'' apparantly in an attempt to survive.

As many as six persons, allegedly linked with Chhota Shakeel, Chhota Rajan and Arun Gawli gangs, have been arrested by the Pune rural police recently for their suspected involvements in a number of dacoities. All the alleged gang members were found to have formed a tie up with local dacoits.

Baffled by the mafia's association with local dacoits, the Pune rural police suspect that it could be due to the financial crisis being faced by various Mumbai gangs.

Top police officials, who spoke to The Indian Express on condition of anonymity, observed that members of well-organised mafia gangs which are mainly involved in major crimes like contract killing and extortion rarely get associated with ``small time operators like dacoits.''

They said such gangsters normally avoid committing robberies and dacoities out of fear that the gang will disown them if they are caught while committing crimes which are not assigned to them by the gang leaders.

Pointing out that a number of gangsters had either been killed in encounters with the police or arrested in Mumbai in the recent past, the police officials felt the crackdown in Mumbai might have forced some of the gang members to quit Mumbai for their safety.

The police officials said the possibility of such gangsters on the run and getting into a tie- up with local criminals in a bid to set up their bases and hideouts outside Mumbai cannot be ruled out.

The other factor which might have forced the gangsters to join hands with local criminals, the police officials said, could be the lukewarm response to ransom demands by businessmen who are already facing a financial crunch due to ongoing recession.

The police officials said they had been receiving reports that many of the Mumbai-based gangs, whise turnover was decreasing, were weeding out the dead wood and asking some of their ``small time associates'' to fend for themselves.

The turnover of various Mumbai gangs had also decreased considerably after the police started probing their alleged involvement in the film industry, the officials said.