Mumbai:
Two key members of the Chhota Rajan gang were arrested in connection with the murder of Zahid Hassan Mir alias Chhote Mian, a key bookie from the Dawood Ibrahim gang.
The two shooters identified as Mohammad Ali Jan Ahmed Shaikh (28) and Pranay Manohar Rane (35) may have a bigger design as the killing wasn't an isolated event but committed by gangsters on Chhota Rajan's payroll.
"Shaikh and Rane are the two that we have arrested. They were not contract killers. These two shooters were on Chhota Rajan's payroll. So we think they might have something bigger on their mind," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy, adding, "We are still in search of one more person involved in the killing and we are sure to nab him soon," Roy added.
As the two arrested are also suspected to be involved in an attempt on the life of Asif Khan alias Asif Dadhi, another foot soldier in D-company, police say that the rivalry between the two gangs Chhota Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim could be the reason for the killing which may have been planned to serve a bigger agenda.
The matter came to the fore after Crime Branch sleuths were interrogating two gangsters, Osama and Abbas, named in the murder of Rajan's right-hand-man, Farid Tanasha.
Roy said that Chhote Mian's murder could be attributed to the deals he made during the IPL 2 cricket tournaments in South Africa last year.
On July 31, 2009, Chhote Mian and his nephew Ashraf Patel were shot dead in a shootout at Bhendi Bazaar.
Mir allegedly handled Dawood's matka business in the city.