Book talks how Dawood’s mentor made him a mafia boss

Agencies
April 1, 2019

New Delhi, Apr 1: Had it not been for Khalid Khan Bachcha, Dawood Ibrahim would not have been Dawood; he would have perished in obscurity long ago, killed either by his rivals or the police, says a new book.

"Dawood's Mentor: The Man Who Made India's Biggest Don" chronicles how Dawood meets Khalid and they eventually forge an unlikely friendship. Together they defeat and neutralise every mafia gang in Mumbai. Khalid lays the foundation for the D-Gang as Dawood goes on to establish a crime syndicate and becomes India's most wanted criminal.

According to author Hussain Zaidi, Khalid had left an indelible impression in Dawood's mind.

"Khalid had taught him the felicity to survive against the heaviest odds. Khalid’s lessons never went waste with Dawood," he writes.

Tired of being bullied, a scrawny, impoverished Dawood was looking for a saviour when Khalid taught him the ropes of handling a bunch of hooligans.

Dawood got a mentor who eventually transformed him into a cunning mafia boss.

Khalid once saved Dawood’s life and took a bullet for him. Khalid's presence of mind, courage and agility had saved Dawood from certain death.

"Dawood owed his life and power to this man. The story of this Pathan - Khalid Khan, alias Khalid Pehelwan, alias KP - was untold yet," says Zaidi.

"In my limited understanding of the Mumbai mafia, I had always felt that Khalid was an unlikely gangster and did not belong to the oligarchy of Dawood's gang. Yet, he had become integral to the growing clout, notoriety and power of the gang," he writes in the book published by Penguin Random House.

"I also wanted to know the motivations that drove a pehelwan (wrestler) into the mafia’s waiting arms. And most of all I was interested in knowing how Khalid Pehelwan survived Dawood’s ire. Imagine disassociating with Dawood and living to tell the tale. I wanted to know why Dawood respected his mentor," he says.

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News Network
January 4,2025

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Eight members of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) have called upon the regime’s minister of military affairs Israel Katz to instruct the occupation army to destroy all water, food and energy sources in the Gaza Strip “to achieve the war goals.”

The letter to Katz asserted “the Israeli military’s operations were failing to achieve the political objectives set for the war”, the Israeli Haaretz daily newspaper reported. 

Despite Israel’s complete siege on the Gaza Strip and the reduction in aid being allowed into the coastal territory, the legislators said the current plans to displace north Gaza residents to the south are not being implemented “properly”.

The Knesset members urged Katz to re-examine war strategies, asserting that after besieging northern Gaza and displacing its residents, the Israeli military should destroy all energy, food and water sources in the area.

They also called for the killing of anyone who moved within northern Gaza without surrendering by waving a white flag.

The measures should not be limited to northern Gaza, they said, but extended to other regions.

They made no mention of the Israeli captives being held in Gaza, Haaretz noted.

Backed by the United States and its Western allies, Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in response to its decades-long campaign of oppression against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 45,658 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 108,583 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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News Network
January 7,2025

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Mangaluru: A tragic road accident claimed the life of a young medical store owner on Monday, January 6, near Tiblapadavu, Natekallu, located on the outskirts of the city.

The victim, identified as 25-year-old Ausaf, was the proprietor of Hajira Medicals and the son of Jaleel, a resident of Derlakatte. 

The unfortunate incident unfolded as Ausaf was riding his bike from Derlakatte toward Tiblapadavu. Upon approaching a divider near Tiblapadavu, a lorry made a sudden turn, resulting in a collision between the motorbike and the rear of the lorry. Ausaf succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Having completed his education a few years ago, Ausaf had taken up the responsibility of managing Hajira Medicals at Derlakatte Junction. He was well-known in his community for his dedication and service.

Authorities at the Mangaluru South Traffic Police Station have registered a case, and CCTV footage capturing the incident is under review. The tragic loss has left the local community in shock, mourning the untimely demise of a promising young entrepreneur. 

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News Network
January 4,2025

Mangaluru: In a shocking case of fraud, six individuals posing as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) swindled a beedi businessman of Rs 25 to 30 lakh in cash and five mobile phones at Kolnad in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada on Friday night.

The incident came to light after Mohammed Iqbal, 27, lodged a complaint with the police, stating that his father, a beedi trader, was targeted by the imposters.

According to the complaint, the six accused arrived at the businessman’s residence around 8:10 pm in a car with Tamil Nadu registration plates. Claiming to be ED officials, they announced that they had orders to search the house and began confiscating mobile phones from the family members.

The fraudsters reportedly discovered Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in cash, which the businessman had kept aside for business purposes. They claimed that keeping such a large amount was illegal and threatened to arrest him unless he complied. By 10:30 pm, the group left the house, instructing the businessman to submit documents at the ED office in Bengaluru to reclaim the money.

Later, upon discussing the incident with his family, Iqbal realized that the individuals were not ED officials but fraudsters who had impersonated authorities to rob them.

A case has been registered at Vittal Police Station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. An investigation is underway, and the police have promised swift action to apprehend the culprits.

Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Yathish N, along with senior officers, visited the crime scene and assured the family that the perpetrators would be brought to justice at the earliest.

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