The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Friday arrested an old-time aide of Rajendra Nikhalje alias Chhota Rajan in connection with a shootout in south Mumbai in 1989.
One of the first Tilak Nagar youths to pledge allegiance to Nikhalje in the early 80s, the accused earned the street name ‘Danny’ due to his resemblance to actor Danny Denzongpa.
Ganesh Singh Bisht (59) was arrested at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport after he reached Mumbai from his hometown in Uttarakhand. “Bisht was wanted for an attempt on the life of a businessman in 1989. The victim had been shot at multiple times, and sustained injuries to his chest and leg, but survived,” said a Crime Branch officer.
Inquiries found that the attack had been perpetrated by Bisht along with Anil Parab alias Wangya, Sunil Sawant alias Sawtya, and Sharad Shetty alias Anna.
Over the next few years, Chhota Rajan parted ways with Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. While Bisht left with him, Parab, Sawant and Shetty stayed loyal to Dawood. In the ensuing gang war, Sawant and Shetty were shot dead by Chhota Rajan’s men. Meanwhile, Parab was deported from Dubai in 2003 and charge-sheeted in the 1989 attempt to murder case, while Bisht was still wanted.
Earlier this month, the AEC received information that Bisht was handling Chhota Rajan’s affairs in India till the latter was arrested in Bali last year. “We learned that Bisht would be coming to Mumbai on Friday. He was picked up as soon as he landed and placed under arrest in connection with the attempt to murder case of 1989. He has also been involved in murder cases in Santacruz, Tilak Nagar and Panvel,” said the officer. The Crime Branch is now interrogating Bisht about his activities since the time that he fled the city, and the extent of his association with Chhota Rajan and his associates.
Crime Branch old-timers remember Bisht as a young loyal recruit who grew up with Dawood in Tilak Nagar and was handpicked by the latter when he was still working with Kaskar. “Bisht used to look like Mr. Denzongpa and even his way of speaking was similar to the actor’s, which is how he earned the nickname ‘Danny’. The name stuck after he was recruited by Chhota Rajan and became his street name in the underworld,” a retired Crime Branch officer said. Bisht was produced in the Esplanade Court and remanded in the Crime Branch’s custody till August 25.
(An earlier version of the copy said Sawant and Shetty were shot dead by Dawood's men. They were, in fact, shot dead by Chhota Rajan's men. The error is regretted.)
