Delhi Police spoil plan to attack writer; Dawood aide arrested

An aide of Chhota Shakeel, who is a trusted lieutenant of most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, has been arrested by the Delhi Police's Special Cell.

The arrest has botched the “plan to attack” Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah

DCP (Special Cell) P S Kushwah said on Friday that Junaid Chowdhry was picked up on the intervening night of June 7 and 8 from Wazirabad Road in Northeast Delhi. Kushwah, however, refused to share details on Chowdhry’s plans.

A senior police officer said that Chowdhry was in the national capital at the instance of Shakeel to target Fatah — a known critic of Pakistan, who pushes for liberal views among Muslims.

The D-Company henchman was in the city to carry out a recce even as Fatah was away. The controversial outspoken writer, however, has not reacted. He merely retweeted stories about Chowdhry’s arrest from his personal Twitter handle. The gangster was arrested last June along with three others with arms and hawala money sent by Shakeel. He was released on bail within four months, said the police.

At that time, he had hatched a conspiracy to kill Hindu Sabha chief Swami Chakrapani. His bail was cancelled and was released on bail for the second time.

He remained in touch with Shakeel, who keeps shuttling between Pakistan and Gulf countries. Shakeel asked him to look after D-company's Delhi operations, said police sources. The Special Cell is interrogating him to extract more information about Shakeel's other plans.