Arrested Delhi milkman's son wanted to be like Dawood: Police

New Delhi:  An alleged aide of gangster Chhota Shakeel, arrested in Delhi on Friday, reportedly wanted to become a top gangster like underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted. 21-year-old Junaid Chaudhary was allegedly planning to kill Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah; he was arrested late on Wednesday night from Wazirabad in northeast Delhi.

According to police sources, Junaid thought that assassinating Mr Fatah would land him in Delhi's Tihar Jail where he could then kill Chhota Rajan - once Dawood Ibrahim's right-hand and now his arch rival - who is lodged there.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) PS Kushwah said Chaudhary was planning to target the writer, known for his controversial remarks criticising hardliners and strongly opposing terrorism. Chaudhary was enraged with Fatah's remarks and wanted to kill him, Mr Kushwah said.

"Mr Fatah was not in Delhi, Chaudhary was here to carry out a recce," he said.

Sources claimed that Chaudhary has said that he won't be deterred by the arrest and will continue with his mission after his release.

Chaudhary is the son of a milkman from Bhagirathi Vihar in Gokalpuri area in northeast Delhi.

Police say Chaudhary had allegedly received Rs. 1.5 lakh as the first installment from unknown sources and had arranged for weapons from western Uttar Pradesh to kill Chhota Rajan. He had also hired some men to carry out his plan. The police recovered a pistol and four live cartridges from him.

He was arrested in June last year along with Roger Robinson, Yunus and Manish with arms and hawala money sent by Shakeel, but was released on bail within four months. They had been planning to kill Hindu Mahasabha chief Swami Chakrapani and Chhota Rajan at that time.