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Arif Syed Abu Bakr,driver-cum-bodyguard of Dawood Ibrahims brother Iqbal Kaskar,who was gunned down by two assailants at Kaskars doorstep on Pakmodia Street in May,could have been a victim of mistaken identity. Sustained interrogation of Sheikh Umed-ur-Rehman Ishrat Hussain,one of Chhota Rajans main sharpshooters,has revealed that the target assigned by Rajan was not Arif,but Dawood Ibrahims oldest associate and aide Hanif Talwar.
Umed told interrogators that the May 17 incident was part of a first batch of firings in South Mumbai and Pakmodia Street was chosen on purpose as Rajan wants to make a comeback,and a very significant one too,said sources.
On May 17,Talwars presence was misjudged by Umed and his associates though they had recced the place several times. In the confusion and the pressure,Umed shot Arif as he felt threatened. Within minutes,everything was over and he had to flee from the area, said an officer. If Umed thought his boss will be angry,he was wrong as Rajan was satisfied the firing took place on Pakmodia Street, he added.
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch and the local police are now verifying if Talwar was present at the scene that evening. Umed,in hiding since the attack,was picked up from Goa by the Crime Branch on Thursday. The Crime Branch is now verifying his claim and also expanding its probe to include all the communication done by Umed through the 11 phones seized from him.
Interestingly,the officers further claimed that the Pakmodia contract came to Umed after a few other shooters were approached. Some did not seem satisfactory and the others declined. We are questioning some of them, said the officer.
Another Crime Branch team is now trying to track the recees done by Umed for the hit and might question Talwar to verify the sequence of events. The Crime Branch has also prepared a list of other targets that Umed had been assigned and will make arrangements for their protection.
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