Bajrangi’s network included ministers, bizmen and lowly criminals

Dreaded gangster Munna Bajrangi, who was murdered in Baghpat jail, was very well connected – he knew influential people ranging from cabinet ministers, senior politicians, businessmen, contractors, criminals and even policemen, as per the dossier prepared on him by the state police.

“His had a widespread network in UP, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Mumbai. Many people were managing his businesses, contracts, investing extortion money in different businesses, arranging shooters and firearms for his gang members, ensuring legal aid as well as providing political patronage,” said a senior official of UP Special Task Force (STF).

He said the STF had prepared the dossier, tracking his activities over the past 20 years.

The official said mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari was among those on the list who provided Bajrangi political patronage and arranged firearms for his gang members.

“Ansari is not the only politician, who had links with Bajrangi. The list includes two former ministers from eastern UP, a former MLA and sitting zila panchayat chairman’s husband from Sultanpur,” he stated while reading out the list.

The dossier also includes the name of a Mumbai crime branch officer on whose intervention Bajrangi’s gang used to get railway contracts of Varanasi and Allahabad that were earlier with the group of another jailed mafia don-turned-politician Brijesh Singh. The police officer even floated a compromise plan between Bajrangi and Singh, but it did not work.

KEY PERSONS MANAGING BAJRANGI’S BIZ

The official said at least 13 people managed Bajrangi’s businesses, money collected from extortion and other sources, investments in properties and ensuring legal aid.

He said Deep Narain Singh alias Deepak Singh and Rahul Singh managed his mobile tower diesel refilling work, Rituraj Singh looked after railway contracts grabbed by his gang, Vinay Singh and Mohd Tariq (who was killed in Lucknow in December last year) took care of railway and PWD contracts while JP Singh managed railway scrap related contracts.

“Some others on the list were Mohd Jalees and Ashfaq who managed his real estate businesses in Sultanpur and other districts of east UP. Sanjay Rao was the front man of Bajrangi’s businesses while Vinay Didvaniya invested money collected by his gang through extortion,” he stated.

CLOSE ACQUAINTANCES

West UP gangster Sanjeev Mahehswari alias Jeeva was one of Bajrangi’s closest acquaintances. He is currently lodged in Mainpuri jail and co-accused along with Bajrangi in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in Ghazipur district on November 29, 2005.

Police agencies suspect Jeeva could retaliate and attack Bajrangi’s rival gangs to avenge his killing by gangster Sunil Rathi. Others on the list included Vimal Prakash Tewari (lodged in Banda jail), Alam Singh (lodged in Bijnore jail) and Bajrangi’s brother Bhuwal Singh.

CRIME WORLD MANAGERS

According to the dossier, Amit Singh and Iftekhar Ahmad Sheikh managed the money collected by Bajrangi’s gang through extortion. Shiekh is lodged in Tihar jail.

HIDEOUTS FOR GANG’S SHOOTERS

“Apart from Mukhar Ansari, Meraj Ahmad and his nephew Parvez Ahmad arranged hideouts and escape routes for the gang’s shooters and also managed surrender of gang members before the police and court,” said the official.

He said a Jaunpur-based businessman IB Singh and two Mumbai businessmen Shamim and Shakeel always provided shelter to Bajrangi and his gang members. Bajrangi stayed in a flat of Siddhi Vinayak Apartments in Malad, Mumbai after the sensational killing of Krishnanand Rai, till he was arrested by Delhi special cell in October 2009.

LEGAL ADVISORS AND SHOOTERS

The dossier mentioned Chunna Rai and Gulab Patel as lawyers of Bajrangi’s gang members.

The official said Rai also managed some of Bajrangi’s businesses while Patel was mentioned as the key person behind arranging shooters for him. He provided dreaded shooters like Kripa, Rajesh Chowdhary and Naate Bachkani for Bajrangi’s gang.

He said the oldest shooter of Bajrangi’s gang was Manoj alias Chottu (lodged in Varanasi jail) while other shooters of his gang lodged in different jails were Ajai Sipahi, Anshuman Singh, Aman Singh, Abhinav, Rohit alias Chandan, Rinku Singh, Deepu Singh, Sagar, Pankaj Singh and Rishu Singh.

FUGITIVE SHOOTERS

A senior STF official said three dreaded shooters of Bajrangi’s gang, Ata-ur-Rehman alias Babu, Vishwas Sharma alias Vishwas Nepali and Anil Singh were still out of police net.

“Apart from Bajrangi and Jeeva, Babu and Nepali were among seven people allegedly involved in executing the sensational killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai at the behest of Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari, according to the chargesheet filed by CBI,” said a senior STF official.

He said Anil Singh who executed multiple killings at the behest of Bajrangi was untraceable.