Mumbai Beat

Two Shakeel men heldTwo gangsters belonging to the Chhota Shakeel faction of the Dawood Ibrahim gang were arrested by the crime branch fr...

Two Shakeel men held

Two gangsters belonging to the Chhota Shakeel faction of the Dawood Ibrahim gang were arrested by the crime branch from a hideout at Malad on Sunday evening. On a tip-off, a special squad attached to unit-IX of the crime branch laid a trap at Rani Sati Marg and arrested the suspects. The two have been identified as Yusuf Mohammed Hussen Kutchi alias Raja and Krishna Hari Gauda. A loaded countrymade revolver with live rounds was recovered from the two, police claimed.

According to senior inspector Arun Awate, Kutchi revealed during interrogation he had been associated with slain gangster Rashid Malbari and Chand Mastan Sheikh, both close Shakeel aides. Kutchi confessed he was involved in the murder of one Ulhas at Shivaji Nagar and one Shabir Murad Pathan at Tilak Nagar.

Datta Samant murder trial

The trial in the killing of union leader and former MP Dr Datta Samant will begin shortly, with charges in the case to be framed against all accused on August 27. Ninemembers of the Chotta Rajan gang have been chargesheeted in the killing, which took place on January 16, 1997 at Powai. The case came up for hearing before Additional Sessions Judge M L Tahiliyani today and has been adjourned to August 27.

According to police, the conspiracy to kill Samant was hatched in October 1996 by Nepali at the behest of Ramesh Patil, a builder and businessman supplying 35 spare parts to Premier Automobiles Limited on a contract basis. Patil allegedly paid Rs five lakh to Rajan.

Investigations revealed that Patil8217;s father Ratan, who was then vice-president of Samant8217;s Kamgar Aghadi at the plant, had defected from the union following a go-slow call. Patil then formed another union, after which he received threats from members of the Suresh Manchekar gang allegedly hired by Samant. Patil in turn hired the Rajan gang to eliminate the trade union activist. Police have recovered imported pistols and mobile phones used in the offence. Nine persons were arrested for the killing, includingthree main shooters Arun Londhe, Vijay Thopte and Ganpat Bhamne.

600 gold bars seized

In a major breakthrough, the rummaging and intelligence wing of Customs preventive wing today arrested two Philipino nationals on charges of smuggling 600 gold bars to the tune of Rs 2.48 crore.

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The arrest comes close on the heels of the arrest of a Pakistani national Tanweer H Awan who was arrested last Friday by the Customs preventive wing while trying to smuggle in 300 gold bars to the tune of Rs 1.40 crore.

Sources said the two Philipinos were nabbed from a ship 8212; MV AL Wattyah bearing a Kuwaiti registration number. The two have been identified as Angelito Mercado, a carpenter in the ship, and Jerry Detoon, a seaman. They were remanded to judicial custody up to August 31 by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shivajirao B Dhumal.