Has Dawood’s Right-Hand Man, Chhota Shakeel, Broken Away From Him?

Chhota Shakeel, Dawood’s strongest ally, has reportedly broken away from him over a dispute over Dawood’s brother.

Chhota Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim have reportedly split. 

(Photo: Canva/The Quint)

Chhota Shakeel, the right-hand man and strongest aid of notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim, seems to have broken away from him over a dispute concerning Dawood’s brother, reports Times of India.

According to the report, the two, who have been living in Karachi since they fled India, have split, with Shakeel moving out of the region entirely. The conflict between the two seem to be regarding Anees Ibrahim’s alleged interference in the gang’s operations and his attempts to undermine Shakeel, it added.

The alleged split comes as a surprise to the gang’s different branches, considering that Shakeel has been Dawood’s most loyal ally for years now, standing by him even when several of the original gang members like Abu Salem, Chhota Rajan and Fahim Machmach left Dawood to form their own rival gangs, the Times of India report says.

It also mentioned that for the rest of the gang’s members, especially the branch in Mumbai, the split can become problematic considering the fact that now they are unsure as to who to take the final orders from.

According to TOI, Anees managed to create enough tension between his brother and Shakeel, compelling the latter to stay away. In fact, the report adds, Shakeel even held a meeting with some aides in Dubai.

However, how long this alleged split (if true at all) will last, is anybody’s guess. A gangster who was deported from Dubai told Times of India that it was “next to impossible” for Shakeel to have left Dawood.

Even Dawood’s brothers might ditch him, but not Shakeel. He has been loyal to Dawood all his life. And if there are some differences between them, it could only be because of Anees.

An unnamed gangster told <i>Times of India</i>

(With inputs from Times of India and India.com)