For some, there's no escaping rags even in riches

For some, there's no escaping rags even in riches
J. DEY

MUMBAI, FEB 11: Once a chindi (literally meaning dirty rag) always a chindi. In the underworld, no matter how high you rise, your dubious past stays with you. And there is a clear distinction between a chindi and a bhai. This is despite the fact that majority of the top ranking gangsters in the underworld have risen from the rank of robbers, and are equally effective as sharpshooters. But in an industry dominated by the bhais, a chindi always stays a chindi.

Take the case of slain gangster Rohit Verma, key associate of mafia don Chhota Rajan. He was first arrested for robbing a bank at Thane in 1995.

Vinod Matkar is another case in point. As a college union leader, he started with a series of robberies at Matunga, and went on to became Rajan's key henchmen after being named in over 20 murder cases in the city.

Rajan's present top aides -- Jaggu Fakira Shetty, D.K. Rao and Prashant Kundappa Kotta alias Prashant Kalli alias Master -- were all robbers before they were promoted as shooters. Nitesh Kasare, Santosh Shetty, Uday Shetty, Nitin Sawant and Deshmukh are few other cases.

Incidentally, Jaggu Shetty had masterminded the killing of Vinod Shetty and two others at Panvel on November 3 last year. The Chembur hotelier was shot dead for conspiring to kill Chhota Rajan at Bangkok on September 15, 2000.

It is not only Rajan who has been hiring chindis. Ashwin Naik's gang also maintain an army of robbers -- known sharpshooters like Dhananjay Shetty, Sunil Shetty and Dilkush Shetty are all working for this gang.

The only chindi inducted in the Chhota Shakeel gang was Abdul Gani alias Govinda, who was shot dead in March last year. The robber was inducted in the gang by Salim Tukaram during his detention at Thane prison to kill some top politicians in the city.

Arun Gawli, on the other hand, does not allow chindis to join his gang. His shooters are direct recruits, who often start as a watcher and gradually move up the rank to become a close associate.

The history of the chindi business can be traced back to 1995 when Jaggu Shetty, with his associates Rohit Verma, Vinod Matkar and D.K. Rao, were arrested for looting Rs 66 lakh from a bank at Thane.

While Matkar came in touch with Guru Satam, who arranged his bail and armed him, Rohit was introduced to nana (Chhota Rajan). D.K. Rao and Jaggu Shetty were quick to follow suit.

However, despite their links with the mafia dons, this group continued to be called chindi because they did not give up the old habit of robbing. Income from robberies was additional to the income from contract killings, a crime branch officer pointed out.

A chindi usually shifts gangs following an arrest. The reasons are obvious. The arrest of a robber is often followed by the rounding up of the entire gang. With no gang member outside, it becomes difficult to arrange for their bail or even daily food dabba.

This often forces a chindi to join another gang for food, legal advice and protection while behind the bars. The robbers are usually armed after their release and assigned specific responsibilities (read contract killings).

A bhai on the other hand is often initiated in the gang with a killing which brings him in direct contact with the don. A chindi may have to continue with petty work to prove his loyalty. It may be years before his work gets noticed by the boss.

Initially, a chindi is looked upon as a liability in the gang. His arrest in a robbery case could reveal the gang's plans, said a crime branch sleuth.