Karim Lala

Karim Lala
کریم لالا
Born
Abdul Karim Sher Khan

1911 (1911)
Kunar Province, Emirate of Afghanistan (present-day Afghanistan)
Died19 February 2002(2002-02-19) (aged 90–91)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other namesBade Baba
Occupation(s)Smuggling, narcotics, extortion, contract killing, illegal gambling, forced property evictions[citation needed]

Karim Lala (1911 – 19 February 2002), born Abdul Karim Sher Khan in the Samalam Village of the Shegal District of Kunar Province, Afghanistan, was infamous as one of the three "mafia dons of Mumbai" in India for more than two decades from the sixties to the early eighties.[1] The other two being Mastan Mirza aka Haji Mastan and Varadarajan Mudaliar.[2][3]

Background

For over two decades, he was the leader of the dreaded "Pathan Gang" that operated in impoverished and crime-infested Muslim ghettos of South Mumbai like Dongri, Nagpada, Bhendi Bazaar, and Mohammad Ali Road. The Pathan Gang was involved in operating illegal gambling (satta) and liquor dens, illegal money recovery, illegal land evictions, kidnapping, protection racket (hafta), contract killing (supari), distribution of narcotics and counterfeit currency. Lala soon rose up the ranks to be the chief of the "Pathan Gang" that became notorious for contract killings, forced evictions from property, kidnapping, and extortion. The gang operated several "carrom clubs" that were a facade for illegal moneylending, gambling, and betting rackets. In the 1970s, Lala agreed to a pact with the other two ganglords, Haji Mastan and Varadarajan Mudaliar to divide Mumbai amongst themselves so that they could freely run their criminal activities without any conflict between each other.

Later life

Due to failing health during the late seventies, Lala gradually transferred the leadership of the Pathan gang to his nephew, Samad Khan and then managed his hotel and transport business. Although Lala had several illegitimate businesses, his legitimate business included two hotels (Al Karim Hotel and New India Hotel) and a travel and passport agency called New India Tours and Travels. Lala remained friendly with his other counterparts - Haji Mastan and Varadarajan. He was also close to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray[4] In 1980, Lala unsuccessfully tried to mediate peace between his nephew, Samad Khan and his rivals, Shabir Ibrahim Kaskar and Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. Lala died on 19 February 2002 at the age of 90 or 91.

Ajay Devgn played the character of Karim Lala in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2022 film Gangubai Kathiawadi.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Who was Karim Lala, the underworld don, Shiv Sena claims Indira Gandhi used to meet". Moneycontrol. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  2. ^ Dey, J. (2008). Khallaas - an A to Z Guide to the Underworld. Jaico Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7992-850-9.
  3. ^ Jayaram, N. (2017). Social Dynamics of the Urban: Studies from India. Springer. ISBN 978-81-322-3741-9.
  4. ^ "Not Just Indira Gandhi, Sena Founder Bal Thackeray Also Met Underworld Don Karim Lala". news.abplive.com. 16 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Everything to Know About Karim Lala, the Mafia Don Played by Ajay Devgn in Gangubai Kathiawadi". 5 February 2022.