Who are arrested accused Salim Fruit and Arif Bhaijaan, who run Dawood’s extortion network in Mumbai?

As per Mumbai Police, Arif Bhaijaan, along with Salim Fruit, heads the Mumbai operations of D-Company, fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s gang. Arif reportedly oversees the Mumbai western suburbs up to Virar. Arif is the husband of Chhota Shakeel’s younger sister Fehmida, who passed away in 2020. Arif, along with nine others, had been deported to India from Dubai in 2006 in connection with the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya. Since then, his name cropped up in extortion cases, following which he was placed under arrest. On Wednesday, the Crime Branch arrested him in an extortion case.

Who is Salim Fruit?

Salim Fruit reportedly handles D-Company operations in south and central Mumbai. Known as Salim Fruit as his family business is of selling fruits in South Mumbai, he was deported to India by the UAE government in 2006. He was arrested in an extortion case related to Chhota Shakeel and charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) along with others. He was in prison till 2010. On October 1, the Mumbai Crime Branch took his custody in connection with an extortion case.

Why have they been placed under arrest in multiple cases by various agencies?

While the duo were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a case of terror funding for which they were behind bars, the Mumbai Crime Branch has in the past few months registered at least five cases against Salim Fruit that are linked to extortion.

What has their interrogation revealed about D-Company operations in Mumbai?

The interrogation of Arif Bhaijaan and Salim Fruit has revealed that D-Company’s modus operandi has changed from making extortion calls to celebrities to intervening in disputed land deals and monetary settlements. They intercede in disputes on behalf of one of the parties, intimidate the opponents in the name of Chhota Shakeel and Dawood Ibrahim, and manage to extort money from them or force people to settle at petty amounts, resulting in losses.

Why have Salim Fruit and Arif Bhaijaan emerged as major D-Company operatives in Mumbai?

Before her death in 2014, Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar was the power centre who intervened in disputes and settled matters, often by threatening people. However, since her death, the position has come to be occupied by Fruit and Bhaijaan as they are relatives of Dawood’s trusted lieutenant Chhota Shakeel. The duo now flaunt their relations with Shakeel and claim to represent D-Company in the city.