India goes to Interpol to trace Dawood Ibrahim’s aide

NEW DELHI: Aiming to take up Pakistan on its word that it will assist India on matters related to security, the National Investigation Agency has approached Interpol to trace Dawood Ibrahim’s close aide Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna in Pakistan, arrest him and hand him over to India.

The anti-terror probe agency has got Interpol to issue a red corner notice against Chikna, with his latest photograph, and another D Company member based in South Africa – Zahid Miyan Sheikh alias ‘Jao’, in its probe into the conspiracy to attack BJP and RSS leaders last year, said a source.

Chikna is among the list of 48 most wanted criminals including Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim etc shared with Pakistan and whose arrest India has sought several times in the past.

Sources say that a Letter Rogatory, a judicial request seeking investigation assistance, is also being sent to Pakistan in few days to get details about Javed Chikna.

According to NIA probe so far, Javed Chikna and South Africa based Zahid Miyan had masterminded the conspiracy to kill Hindu leaders and a list of BJP/RSS members was also prepared. As part of the conspiracy, two Bharuch (Gujarat) based right-wing leaders - Shirish Bangali and Pragnesh Mistry – were killed by D Company sharpshooters on November 2 last year.

Zahid Miyan, as per the conspiracy, had contacted Yunus Shaikh alias Manjaro in Bharuch and Javed Chikna’s brother Abid Patel to identify RSS and BJP leaders after which a list was shared with Zahid in South Africa through emails and chats. Sources say that a list of 15 leaders was prepared initially.

For the murder of Bangali and Mistry, the contract killers were paid Rs 50 lakh. Initially Gujarat police probed the matter but it was handed over to the NIA as government found a ‘larger conspiracy’ hatched in Pakistan to kill the leaders.

The NIA, sources say, is also preparing to send a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) request to the US and South Africa seeking details of emails and chats on which conspirators interacted while planning and executing the murders.

The agency also plans to approach Dubai at a later stage.