India too had a bloody history when it comes to Organized crime, albeit not as popular. Starting right from the streets of Mumbai Indian to the rural areas of Punjab the country has witnessed many men of the ill-repute. Among them, five stand out as the most infamous: Haji Mastan, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Karim Lala, Lawrence Bishnoi and Dawood Ibrahim. This paper focuses on these 5 Indian gangsters, details the various crimes that he committed to make him famous, as well as how various agencies and countries tried to apprehend him.
Haji Mastan: The Godfather of Bombay
Early Life and Rise to Power
Haji Mastan, originally Mastan Mirza, was born in Tamil Nadu, and migrated to Mumbai in the hope of a better life. Emerging from a lowly docker, he dominated the 1960s and the early 1970s as a master organizer of the smuggling of gold, silver and Electronics through Bombay Harbour. His politeness and strategizing proved to have business-like attitude among the pretty city folks that made him somewhat like a celebrity criminal.
Famous Criminal Activities
Haji Mastan was involved in the big scale smuggling business. This Indian Gangsters business were orderly, meaning that there was no extra use of force if it was not necessary. But he was more than just a smuggler; the man dabbled in money laundering and real estate. He was also active in Bollywood, providing funding for motion pictures and beginning relations with popular stars.
Agencies and Countries Involved
Due to its shifty operation, Mastan came into the attention of Customs Departments, the Central Bureau of Investigation [CBI] and the Income Tax Department. Some of the routes which he chose for smuggling were threats to the Middle East, therefore, an international issue. However, Mastan did not go to jail often and he also moved into politics much later in his life.
Varadarajan Mudaliar: The Don of Dharavi
Early Life and Rise to Power
Chettiar Mudaliar Varadarajan brought his entire family to Mumbai as a migrant from Tamil Nadu and initially, he worked and became a porter at the VT Station. It was in the 1970s that his leadership and organisational skills got him promoted in the underworld hierarchy. Wise and fond of money, he consolidated his hold over Dharavi, Asia’s biggest slum.
Famous Criminal Activities
Mudaliar specialized in smuggling, contract killing and bootlegging business. He was also directly associated with gambling joints and other business such as blackmailing. One considerable point that set Mudaliar apart from the rest of the Indian gangsters was that he was quite similar to those who played Robin Hood; Mudaliar used to assist the poor in Dharavi. Owing to limited use of force his rule was widely accepted by the majority of the people.
Agencies and Countries Involved
At the same time the police of Mumbai and CBI started chasing Mudaliar relentlessly. Yet, his operations were limited to his country and he did not invest in other countries’ businesses. Mudaliar retired and returned to Tamil Nadu after the police crack down in the 1980s; he lead a quiet life until he died.
Karim Lala: The Pathan Kingpin
Early Life and Rise to Power
Karim Lala the original name of which was Abdul Karim Sher Khan was an Afghan immigrant who migrated to Mumbai in the 1930. Hailing from an unknown background he worked himself up the ranks of the underworld to occupy a significant position in the sixties. Lala’s empire was founded based on the control of drugs, protection racket and betting.
Famous Criminal Activities
Lala ruled most of Mumbai’s unlawful businesses such asthe drugs, and counterfeit money. He was also involved in aspects of arbitration thus was given the title, ‘a mediator’ among fellow Indian gangsters. Extra power he got because he was able to influence the mill workers and unions of the city.
Agencies and Countries Involved
Lala, through his drug trafficking connection, expanded operations to Afghanistan and Pakistan which attracted Interpol and India’s Narcotics Control Bureau. Even though much of what Lala did was unlawful, he appeared to be a community builder and a beneficiary, and therefore, was not stringently punished for any of his unlawful activities during his lifetime.
Lawrence Bishnoi: The Modern-Day Indian Gangster
Early Life and Rise to Power
Lawrence Bishnoi is among the new generation Indian gangsters of Punjab that indulged in violence coupled with social media. Originally from a politicians’ family, Bishnoi started with criminal activities during his college time. Many young, IT savvy fans sprung up, making him a big force in Northern India.
Famous Criminal Activities
Some of these are extortion, murder, threatening celebrities, etc. The most known stories connected with him are the alleged threat to Bollywood star Salman Khan in blackbuck poaching case. His gang is on the record for this as they are known to use social media as a tool to instill fear as well as gaining subscribership.
Agencies and Countries Involved
The Punjab Police, the Delhi Police, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are currently trying to break Bishnoi’s organization. It has also affected agencies in Canada and the United Arab Emirates since his gang’s operations also have some cross-border affiliations.
Dawood Ibrahim: The Global Fugitive
Early Life and Rise to Power
Dawood Ibrahim was born in Dongri city of Mumbai, India and he is one of the 5 most famous Indian gangsters of India. Dawood began as contraband runner and created the D-Company crime syndication during the 1980s. His ascendancy was characterized by demystifying rivals and engineering international copartnerships.
Famous Criminal Activities
Dawood’s organized crime involves and is involved in drugs, and weapons such as arsenal exports, and terrorisms. The major operation carried by him is the Mumbai bomb blast of 1993, massacring more than 250 people. His linkages to the terrorist establishments and his part in creating turmoil in India concrete him a leading world terror risk.
Agencies and Countries Involved
Dawood is on the most wanted list of India, with agencies like CBI, RAW, and NIA in hunt for the accused. Globally, both CIA and Interpol have also issued warrant for his arrest. It is presumed that he is still living in Pakistan, however the Pakistani authorities flatly deny this.
CONCLUSION
The lives of the 5 Indian gangsters, such as Haji Mastan, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Karim Lala, Lawrence Bishnoi, and Dawood Ibrahim provide a view into the unexplored side of India. Both of them emerged in different historic circumstances and brought controversy and crime. As much as the various agencies from the domestic soil and the international scene have pursued them and tried to arrest them their echoes still linger. These stories are a firsthand depiction of the issues of organized crime and the fight against it that has not come to past.
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