What appears about intelligence operations in the media is tightly controlled by governments. That makes it difficult to ascertain the full facts and the causes and motivations behind a particular action. This can be said of the netting of Chhota Rajan in Indonesia earlier this week, although words like “netting” or “capture” may be misplaced here.
Chances are that the diminutive gangster, who was once an important aide of Dawood Ibrahim but had a falling out with the D-Company overlord, may well have thought his best interest lay in being the government’s guest and may have even initiated the process leading to his arrest.
When men like Chhota Rajan, and sometimes even politicians living in conflict zones, perceive a serious threat to themselves, they are known to beseech the very government that they may have opposed (this in the case of politicians) or evaded (in the case of gangsters and similar criminals whose world is a charming one, replete with smuggling, shooting and bomb-throwing). In the case of the man we are talking about, it has been known over the years that he has been made use of by Indian intelligence, given the vast range of his contacts in high and low society and in more than one country. Indeed, that is what gives such people glamour and utility for governments.
It is logical to think that a government keen to keep tabs on D-Company and its leader Dawood Ibrahim, who is an honoured asset of the Pakistan authorities but unfortunately finds his name on America’s hit list as he is believed to have been a collaborator of Osama bin Laden, would find Chhota Rajan useful. He could have interesting information.
Unfortunately he has been on the run for fear of the D-Company for long. How current is the stuff he has? In any case, to transmit the dope he has, he didn’t have to be picked up by Indian intelligence. Since he has been, it is more than likely that the so-called operation was at his own request — an “asset” coming home, so to say. News reports suggest that the PM’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, a former Intelligence Bureau chief, himself master-minded the operation. When NSAs begin to micro-manage such things, probably they are paying insufficient attention to their real task of being the PM’s adviser on composite security matters which has a strong element of foreign and defence affairs as well as the intelligence dimension.
If reports about Mr Doval’s involvement are true (and they seem to be as they have been fed to a number of media outlets simultaneously), it is time the NSA stopped playing the intelligence operative. Also, rushing to the media should be done only in cases where exposure will benefit the cause.
