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Karim Lala, a Pakhtoon don, was primarily a Hashish smuggler. He also helped Bollywood big-wigs to settle disputes and recover dues
The night dragged on and the fiery Samad Khan, nephew of Karim Lala, was on his way out from a hotel room at Sikka Nagar, Khetwadi in South Mumbai.
A group of shooters hired by Dawood Ibrahim had tapped into Samad's telephone with the help of a notorious linesman.
The dice was rolled to bump off Samad.
A Kashmiri girl was used as a bait to draw Samad into the hotel room. As soon as the elevator used by Samad reached the ground floor, Dawood's shooters emptied their magazines.
The ambush had not only taken Samad by surprise, but his uncle too. It was a body blow to the Pathan Karim Lala and his gang that had challenged Dawood in South Mumbai.
Drug lords
Abdul Karim Sher Khan, Lala migrated to Mumbai from the North West Frontier Province, around 1944. Like his compatriot Haji Mastan, he joined the docks as a coolie.
This was the year of the great dock fire. It took him 18 years to acquire an Indian citizenship.
The Pathans were then known to bring drugs with them and Dongri-based Afghani, Juma Khan Ghaswalla, was one of them.
Lala, a Pakhtoon, was introduced to narcotics by Ghaswalla's son Sharukh.
Soon, he entered the big league with players such as Varadarajan Mudaliar, Yusuf Patel, Haji Mastan and Jhenabai Khabri.
He was involved in trafficking of 'kala' or hasish in Dongri and the adjoining areas and his nephew Samad provided the muscle power.
Lala also protected illicit liquor and gambling dens in and around Dongri. Many celebrities from Bollywood too flocked to the Pathan to settle their disputes and recover their dues.
Lala's growing popularity and Samad's muscle power was a threat to Dawood and his gang.
Samad had joined hands with Amirzada and Alamzeb. They even attacked members of the Dawood gang to establish their dominance in the area.
That's when Dawood decided to eliminate Samad.
Political clout
Lala held sway over other Pakhtoons and Pathans after he formed the Pakhtoon Hind Jagdia Society in 1960. That gave them the much-needed political clout to deal with the police.
Lala came under the scrutiny of the police after an emergency was declared in June 1975.
He later formed the Khudai Khidmatgar and Paktoonistan Jigar-e-hind, organisations that provided succour and employment to Pathans.
Lala, died of a massive heart attack on February 20, 2002. He was 68 and living a retired life.
Number Game
1944
The year Lala is believed to have migrated to Mumbai
1975
The year Lala came under police scrutiny
68
Karim Lala's age at the time of his death in 2002
The night dragged on and the fiery Samad Khan, nephew of Karim Lala, was on his way out from a hotel room at Sikka Nagar, Khetwadi in South Mumbai.
A group of shooters hired by Dawood Ibrahim had tapped into Samad's telephone with the help of a notorious linesman.
The dice was rolled to bump off Samad.
A Kashmiri girl was used as a bait to draw Samad into the hotel room. As soon as the elevator used by Samad reached the ground floor, Dawood's shooters emptied their magazines.
Lala's growing popularity and sway over the Pathans coupled with his nephew Samad Khan's muscle power irked Dawood Ibrahim, who decided to kill Samad
The ambush had not only taken Samad by surprise, but his uncle too. It was a body blow to the Pathan Karim Lala and his gang that had challenged Dawood in South Mumbai.
Drug lords
Abdul Karim Sher Khan, Lala migrated to Mumbai from the North West Frontier Province, around 1944. Like his compatriot Haji Mastan, he joined the docks as a coolie.
This was the year of the great dock fire. It took him 18 years to acquire an Indian citizenship.
The Pathans were then known to bring drugs with them and Dongri-based Afghani, Juma Khan Ghaswalla, was one of them.
Lala, a Pakhtoon, was introduced to narcotics by Ghaswalla's son Sharukh.
Soon, he entered the big league with players such as Varadarajan Mudaliar, Yusuf Patel, Haji Mastan and Jhenabai Khabri.
He was involved in trafficking of 'kala' or hasish in Dongri and the adjoining areas and his nephew Samad provided the muscle power.
Lala also protected illicit liquor and gambling dens in and around Dongri. Many celebrities from Bollywood too flocked to the Pathan to settle their disputes and recover their dues.
Lala's growing popularity and Samad's muscle power was a threat to Dawood and his gang.
Samad had joined hands with Amirzada and Alamzeb. They even attacked members of the Dawood gang to establish their dominance in the area.
That's when Dawood decided to eliminate Samad.
Political clout
Lala held sway over other Pakhtoons and Pathans after he formed the Pakhtoon Hind Jagdia Society in 1960. That gave them the much-needed political clout to deal with the police.
Lala came under the scrutiny of the police after an emergency was declared in June 1975.
He later formed the Khudai Khidmatgar and Paktoonistan Jigar-e-hind, organisations that provided succour and employment to Pathans.
Lala, died of a massive heart attack on February 20, 2002. He was 68 and living a retired life.
Number Game
1944
The year Lala is believed to have migrated to Mumbai
1975
The year Lala came under police scrutiny
68
Karim Lala's age at the time of his death in 2002
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