Lady Don Karima Shaikh booked for threatening to kill police witness against her
Police in Mumbai have arrested Karima Shaikh, known as the 'Lady Don', and two others for allegedly threatening a witness in a murder case. Shaikh, who has over 98 cases registered against her, was seen chasing the witness through the streets with a knife before police intervened. The witness had previously testified against Shaikh in a case filed by former corporator Parmeshwar Kadam. Shaikh has been charged with murder, extortion and land grabbing, among other offences.
MUMBAI: The police have arrested Karima Shaikh, who earned the sobriquet ‘Lady Don’, along with two other accomplices on Monday for allegedly threatening a 29-year-old witness in an attempt to murder case of dire consequences. The officers said Karima chased the man through the narrow lanes of Ghatkopar East on Saturday evening with a knife in hand. The chase ended when the man came across patrolling policemen and asked them to intervene.
The complainant, identified as Adil Shameem Sheikh, was a witness in a case registered last year by former corporator Parmeshwar Kadam alleging that Karima, alias Aapa, was conspiring to kill him. Subsequently, the police arrested her a couple of months later after she allegedly robbed employees of a forex company in Malad of ₹75 lakh at knife point, after which she was also handed over to the Pant Nagar police in Kadam’s case.
An official who was involved in the investigation of the case filed by Kadam said that Aapa has more than 98 cases registered against her in police stations across Mumbai. She has been booked on charges of murder, extortion and land grabbing among others. In the current case, the accused include Karima Shaikh alias Aapa, 45, Hasina Shaikh, 38, and Aziz Shaikh alias Papa, 34, who all live in the slum near PWD ground in Ghatkopar East.
In his complaint, Adil alleged that no one dared speak against Aapa and her accomplices who reign terror in the area. “I saw all three accused standing outside my building when I left the house on Saturday evening. As soon as Aapa saw me, she abused me for being a witness against her in the police. She flashed me a knife and threatened that no one could save me from her,” he said in his complaint.
The complainant screamed for help but when a couple of people tried to intervene, Aapa waved the knife at them to indicate they should stay out of the matter. “Luckily, I saw two policemen on a motorbike who were patrolling the area. I ran up to them and asked them to save my life,” he said in the complaint. By the time he went back to the building, the three accused had fled the spot.
The complainant then approached the Pant Nagar police and registered a case under section 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 504 (offence against public tranquillity) of the Indian Penal Code.
Kadam, who was threatened of dire consequences as well, said he does not feel safe anymore. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader has been at loggerheads with the land mafia in slum areas like Kamraj Nagar in Ghatkopar, Kannamwar Nagar in Vikhroli and Netaji Nagar. Such mafias would often grab land in order to construct illegal structures in the localities whenever they got opportunities.
“We witnessed the murder of a political leader of our party by the hands of a goon just a few days ago. It scares me that the person who is notoriously dangerous was released on bail and allowed to roam free in the area I live in,” he said.