Dawood's nephew in a spot as police books associates

Mumbai: The Dongri police has registered rioting cases against associates of Sajid Wagle, a nephew of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. They also registered rioting cases against Haneef Shaikh, an alleged aide of gangster Chotta Shakeel. A fight had erupted on Wednesday night between associates of a local builder and Shaikh’s men over a monetary issue. The police has arrested eight persons for their involvement in the fight. Wagle had been detained but was allowed to leave due to lack of evidence.

According to the police, the dispute is related to Shaikh’s non-payment of Rs 40 lakh to builder Abdullah Gariba of BSB developers for a property he took from him.

Sources at the Dongri police station said that despite the builder demanding the money repeatedly, Shaikh had not paid him. On Thursday when the builder asked Shaikh for the money again, Shaikh allegedly called up his henchmen and assaulted the builder. In retaliation the builder’s men too attacked Shaikh’s men, after which a cross complaint was registered at the Dongri police station.

Praveenkumar Padwal, additional commissioner of police (south region), said Wagle was also present at the spot (from the builder’s side) but “was not involved in the incident.”

Dongri police officers said that at 4 am on Thursday they had received a call from a local resident that about 20 people had gathered outside the Bawa galli reportedly assaulting a builder. On reaching the spot, the police arrested eight people including Shaikh on the charges of possession of a weapon, assault and threatening. On his complaint later the police also arrested the builder and his men for assaulting Shaikh.

The police is now probing whether Wagle had any role in the episode or whether he was the one who had taken the property from the builder and was not willing to pay him.