S Hussain Zaidi’s new book on Dawood Ibrahim introduces readers to his close aide Salim ‘Kutta’

Salim Mira Moideen Shaikh was one of the strongest men in the D-Company. He was also always ready for a fight. Due to his rabid nature and dark complexion, he was nicknamed Salim Kutta. He was a native of Kotta Nellore in Tamil Nadu. In Mumbai, he was involved in rioting cases.

“But how did Salim get involved in the blasts?” I asked. His name also evoked a reaction from Neeraj Kumar, who had conducted a cross-border operation to arrest him; a surgical arrest in the mid-1990s, for sure, if not a strike.

Salim Kutta used to be a bodyguard for the Dossa family. Mohammad Dossa used to help Salim with medical expenses and gained the latter’s undying loyalty. Salim’s violent nature was of good use for Dossa. In the late 1980s, Salim was also part of a gang known as the “Arjun” gang which was modelled after the gang led by Sunny Deol in his superhit film of the same name. This gang also had the blessings of Mustafa Dossa aka Mustafa Majnu. By 1992, Salim was firmly entrenched in Mohammad Dossa’s good books. Members of the Arjun gang were also sent to Pakistan for training in the usage of arms and ammunition.

While Neeraj...

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