Gopal Rajwani

Gopal Rajwani (died January 24, 2000)was a criminal-politician with the Shiv Sena party, from Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra (a suburb of Mumbai). Formerly associated with the ganglord Dawood Ibrahimcite news
title = Sena leader Gopal Rajwani shot dead
author = Jake Khan, Ulhasnagar
publisher = India Abroad
url = http://www.indiaabroad.com/news/2000/jan/25jake.htm
date = 2000-01-25
accessdate = 2007-05-27
location = Ulhasnagar] , he joined the Shiv Sena in 1996. He was killed as he was appearingin a court case at Ulhasnagar in January 2000.

Life

Rajwani began his life selling papadums inUlhasnagar. At one point, he met gangster Govind Vachani and roserapidly in the crime worldcite news
title = Three Ps rule Ulhas: Pelf, Politicians & Pappu
author = Yogesh Pawar
publisher = Indian Express
url = http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19990303/ige03076p.html
date = 1999-03-03
accessdate = 2007-05-24] . He later joined the criminal-politician Pappu Kalani and was arrested in 1982-83 forthe murder of the editor A V Narayan of Blitz magazine. The case could not be sustained, however; no witnesses would comeforward to testify and he was acquitted.

In 1985 he fell out with Kalani over division of extortion money. Meanwhile,Pappu Kalani had become politically powerful with the Indian National Congress party - he was to be elected from Ulhasnagar the followingyearcite news
title = Pappu's Ulhasnagar gambit may backfire
author = Girish Kuber
publisher = Economic Times
url = http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Pappus_Ulhasnagar_gambit_may_backfire/articleshow/msid-1102026,curpg-2.cms
date = 2007-01-09
accessdate = 2007-05-24] . That April, Rajwani was arrested in an extortion case, apparently at Kalani'sbidding. As Rajwaniwas being escorted to the Vithalwadi police station in a rickshaw, Kalaniarranged for his men to attack him with bombs and guns. Rajwani survived theattack, but was seriously injured and was admitted to the
JJ Hospital. Here he met Haji Mastan, anotorious smuggler and senior don of that time. Haji Mastan took Rajwaniunder his wings and arranged for him to go to Dubai.

In Dubai, he met
Dawood Ibrahim and began helping him buy real estate in Mumbai.Among the properties he negotiated was a flat in Lokhandwala Complex, which was to be the scene of a famousshootout where the "encounter" specialist (Policeman known forkilling off gangsters)
Aftaab Ahmed Khan gunned down six of Dawood's aides including Maya Dolascite news
title = "Mr Controversy" seeks a clean ticket
author = S Hussain Zaidi
publisher = Indian Express
url = http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19980205/03650824.html
date = 1998-02-05
accessdate = 2007-05-23] . Much of the fourteen-hour encounter was televised live and madeKhan a celebrity.

In April 1989, the Kalani family leader, Pappu's uncle Dudhichand Kalani, was murdered, allegedly by Gopal Rajwani's gang [cite web
title = Suresh alias Pappu Bhudharmal Kalani v. State of Maharashtra
author = Justices K.T. Thomas & D.P. Mohapatra
publisher = Supreme Court of India
url = http://www.austlii.edu.au/~andrew/CommonLII/INSC/2001/140.html
date = 2 March 2001
accessdate = 2007-05-30] , at theinstance of Gop Behrani. This led to reprisal killings - as many as 22 murders in fivemonths . It was said during this period that"there would be a killing in Ulhasnagar every Tuesday."It was during this period that Pappu Kalani emerged as the leader of his ownorganized crime gang.

In 1992, Pappu Kalani was arrested for the murder of Rajwani henchman Maruthi Jadhav [cite news
title = Pappu Kalani is free: bluster intact, not his base
author = Tanushree Chakraborty
publisher = Indian Express
url = http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie20010906/top6.html
date = September 6, 2001
accessdate = 2007-05-24] (and subsequently charged in seven other murders). Pappu was in jail for nine years, and in this period, Rajwani then returned to Ulhasnagar. He joined the Shiv Sena in1995, and emerged as a top leader of the party in Ulhasnagar.

On January 24, 2000, around 11 AM, he was getting off from his car to attendcourt at the First ClassMagistrate's court in Ulhasnagar, when he was attacked by four gunmen, anddied of injuries in the head, chest, neck andback.

It is widely believed that Pappu Kalani, recently elected MLA from Ulhasnagar, although in jail at the time, had masterminded his murder.

References