Rajkot: Rajkot police crime branch today morning stopped a private luxury bus of Neeta Travels and picked up four persons who are as per primary investigation believed to be sharpshooters hired by some gang operating from Pakistan, possibly Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Anis Ibrahim gang for Rs 10 lakh supari killing. The bus had departed from Nashik in Maharashtra and its final destination was Greenland Chowkdi in Rajkot. Police boarded the bus from Limdi and stopped it just before Rajkot. Police held search and picked up four with a gun, sharp weapon and cartridges before the bus could reach Greenland Chowkdi. Rajkot police conducted this operation based on inputs. Those held are from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. One of them is identified as Ramdas who has history of several crime in the past. Four held were first taken to Kuvadva police chowki for questioning.

It is also learnt that four held by police were also carrying a fake number plates, related tools(one of them ‘SAI’ MH 41 AH 6253) in their possession. Police has with this successfully prevented a serious offense before it could happen. it is learnt that the four persons who are held were here to steal a car and eliminate Ashfak Khatri in Jamnagar. Khatri is into import/export/Ship breaking business. His brother is settled in Dubai. It is believed that Pakistan based ‘D’ gang operated by Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Anis Ibrahim is behind the plot. Ashfak was brought to Rajkot for questioning. Anti Terrorist Squad(ATS) Gujarat SP Himanshu Shukla has reached Rajkot looking at seriousness of this case. Ashfak is from coastal town Mundra in border district of Kutch. He lives in Jamnagar with his family. He was once into Ship breaking business in Sachana.

Rajkot city DCP S R Odedara who led the team to nab shooters said:

– Ramdas Rahane and his three accomplices were coming to Rajkot in a private bus to kill the businessman Ashfaq Khatri who runs a construction company in Jamnagar and also associated with shipping business.
-Rajkot Police kept a close vigil near Kuvadava town on Rajkot—Ahmedabad national highway, as it had received inputs that four suspicious persons are travelling in a private bus from Maharashtra.
-While searching the bus, four of them were spotted in a suspicious manner and on searching their luggage, a pistol, six live cartridges, two knives and fake number plates having vehicle registration numbers of GJ (Gujarat) and MH (Maharashtra) series were found.
-During the initial interrogation we learnt that Anees Ibrahim had given a contract to kill the businessman to Ramdas for a payment of Rs 10 lakhs.
-Ramdas is a contract killer of the D—Gang and is facing several criminal charges in Maharashtra.
-It was also revealed during interrogation that they had planned to steal a vehicle after reaching Jamnagar, change the number plates with fake ones which they were carrying and execute the crime, before returning to Maharashtra.
-Ramdas is believed to be allegedly involved in many shooting incidents in Mumbai. His name had also cropped up in a firing incident at the office of builder Manish Dholakiya in 2011 in which a guard was killed. He has spent some time in jail as well.

DeshGujarat