Mumbai: Two days after his former aide Farid Tanashah was gunned down and police started exploring his role in the case, fugitive don Chhota Rajan called up one of his cronies in the city on Friday and denied having a hand in the murder, reports Mumbai Mirror.
“Rajan alias Nana called up one of his aides yesterday and told him that he did not kill Tanashah,” a Crime Branch source said.
According to the source, Rajan said about Tanashah: “Woh nalayak tha, par woh mera baccha tha (He was useless, but was still my pet)”.
Investigators have so far focussed on two people who could have killed Tanashah – former Rajan man and now his rival Bharat Nepali, and the don himself. However, with Rajan stating that he had no role in Tanashah's murder, police now plan to direct their probe at Nepali, who has been trying to carve his own niche after quitting Rajan's gang.
Although Tanashah was one of the closest to Rajan, the two were not getting along well because the former had begun asserting himself in the extortion business. “Tanashah had openly expressed his resentment at living under Rajan's shadow, and wanted to have his share of the pie in the extortion business,” a source said.
“We had information that Tanashah had started making extortion calls and was planning to hit the jackpot,” a source in the Crime Branch said. Nepali may have killed Tanashah to level a blow to Rajan's gang and also to hijack the extortion business. Crime Branch officials suspect that if Nepali's intention to kill Tanashah was to control the extortion business, then he may soon target another Rajan man D K Rao.
Police also suspect the role of an insider in Tanashah's murder. “Tanashah made sure he was guarded well, and one had to go through layers of scrutiny before meeting him. On the day of the murder, the assailants were not stopped at any time. This cannot be a coincidence and has to have involvement of an insider,” Crime Branch sources said.
“Don't kill my daughter” were the last words of Farid Tanasha, the Chhota Rajan henchman who was shot dead in his house by two unidentified persons, reports Asian Age.
Farid, his second wife Reshma and five-year-old daughter were watching television when the two assailants entered their bedroom.
Police investigations have revealed that the moment Farid saw them entering the bedroom with a gun, he pleaded with them not to kill his daughter. “Hum log bachhe to nahin maarte, tere ko maarne aaye hain (We don't kill children, we have come to kill you),” one of the shooters is alleged to have said. “Maaro... maaro mere ko (Kill... kill me)” Farid is believed to have replied.
However, a senior officer pointed out that it was surprising that the attackers left his wife Reshma, a witness, alive. “Though Reshma was facing the wall, it is difficult to believe that she did not see the attackers,” said a senior crime branch official, adding, “It's very natural that after hearing one shot the person would turn behind and at least look at who is firing. In this incident not just one but 10 bullets were fired and still she did not bother to look behind.”
Insiders say his widow is either too scared to tell the truth or is withholding information, and that it's unlikely that the attackers would risk Reshma witnessing the entire incident
