Mumbai:
Gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his cronies are trying to wrestle their way into the cable business in south Mumbai.
A complaint lodged by local cable operator, Khurshid Khan Pathan, a copy of which is available with MiD DAY, states that Dawood's nephew Sajid Wagle and his associate Aslam Patni are trying to take over M/s SK Video Cable System.
Dawood's younger brother, Iqbal Kaskar, has also been named in the complaint lodged with the Crime Branch.
Pathan, who resides on Kambekar Street, has been in the cable business for the last 25 years, and provides connections to more than 900 residents in the area. He is an authorised franchisee of M/s Indusland Media Communication Pvt Ltd.
Pathan has told the police that he fears for his life.
According to the complaint, Wagle and Patni approached Pathan last week. The duo told Pathan that the bhais (Dawood and Iqbal Kaskar) wanted him to sell the cable business for Rs 3 lakh.
Pathan told MiD DAY that the estimated prevailing rate of cable business is around Rs 45 lakh.
"They told me to sell the business for Rs 3 lakh within one week and warned that if I failed to heed their request, they would forcibly procure all connections, disconnect and damage wiring without paying any money at all," said Pathan. "They threatened that I would be bumped off if I put up any resistance. That's when I met Additional Commissioner of Crime Branch, Deven Bharti, and sought action against those named in the complaint."
Bharti confirmed to MiD DAY that a complaint had indeed been lodged, naming Wagle, Patni and Kaskar.
The matter is under investigation.
Sources in the Crime Branch said that D company's taking over of the cable business could mean controlling information to residents in Dongri, Nagpada, Bori Mohalla and adjoining areas.
According to the sources, there are more than 15 cable operators in Dongri, JJ Marg, Pydhonie and Mohammad Ali Road areas.
"Most of them have succumbed to pressure from the D Company and sold their cable business in the past few months," the sources added.
Wagle has a criminal background and was arrested in connection with extortion cases in 1999 and 2008.
Sources said Wagle has also provided illegal Internet connections to more than 400 houses in this area, through a firm called Nawaz. Each subscriber is made to pay up Rs 400 every month.