Dawood Ibrahim aide Farooq Takla helped Gutkha barons settle dispute; check intriguing details

Mumbai: Farooq Takla, a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, had acted as a mediator between two warring gutkha barons -  Rasiklal Dhariwal and JM Joshi – and helped them settle a dispute.

According to reports, Farooq Takla, who acted as a mediator between the two gutkha barons on behalf of Dawood Ibrahim, was part of all meetings that took place in this connection.

It has now emerged that for mediation between the Gutkha barons, Dawood Ibrahim was compensated by Dhariwal and Joshi, who in turn helped don's brother Anees in setting up a gutkha factory in Pakistan's Karachi. 

Two gutkha barons supplied and sponsored everything from machinery, transfer of technology to finance in helping Anees set up a gutkha pant.

All this was done by Farooq Takla who even finalised the land for the plant with the help of Pakistan's notorious spy agency ISI and some local businessmen from Hyderabad in Sindh Province.

Not only the supply of machines and spare parts from Mumbai to Pakistan via Dubai, but even the recruitment of local workforce for the factory was done by Takla.

Takla's arrest could have a bearing on the gutkha case in which Dharilal and Joshi were accused of supplying machinery to Dawood's brother Anees.

The gutkha case is being heard by a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in Mumbai and Takla could now be questioned in this connection toowit the case.

Takla was recently arrested from New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport by the CBI after he arrived from Dubai.

According to Mumbai Police, details about Takla's role in the gutkha case had emerged from the confessional statement of another accused Jamiruddin Ansari alias Jumbo in 2004.

Jumbo, in his confessional statement in the gutkha case, had said that Farooq Takla mediated between the two warring gutkha barons.

Jumbo was arrested by Suresh Walishetty, now retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, and slain encounter specialist police inspector Vijay Salaskar.

In his statement, Jumbo had told police that he was present in a meeting called to settle a dispute between gutkha barons Dhariwal and Joshi in the presence of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Jumbo had told police that Dawood Ibrahim had asked Dhariwal to pay Rs 11 crore to Joshi to settle the matter.

His confession stated that post the settlement, Joshi had allegedly arranged for the setting up of a gutkha plant in Karachi for Ibrahim's brother Anees.

The machinery was sent from Nhava Sheva port to Dubai where Farooq Takla took receipt of the consignment in the name of "Ali Asgar Company" and then forwarded it to Karachi, the Jumbo's confessional statement said.

The gutkha case was later transferred to the CBI so that it can probe Dawood and Anees Ibrahim's involvement in the gutkha business.

Dhariwal died in October last year. 

(With Agency inputs)