Sufi - The Invisible Man of The Underworld

by Aabid Surti

  Ganpat remained quiet, but the super gave a new twist to the climax, “Sir, the riddle seems more complicated than the Rubik Cube.”

  The chief looked at him, “What do you mean?”

  “The party of Seychelles on whose name these parcels come is bogus.”

  “You mean nobody accepts these parcels there?”

  “True. These parcels return to Bombay every month from Seychelles and are then forwarded back to the original party in Dubai.”

  “Amazing!” The chief commanded, “open them up.”

  Both, Ganpat and the super were taken aback. “What did you say?” The super asked.

  “I’m curious to see what’s inside.”

  “Surely you must be aware, we are not authorized to open the transit parcels.”

  “Of course you aren’t,” he asserted wittily. “Open the Seychelles’ parcels, I take full responsibility.”

  With shivering hands, Ganpat broke the seal of a parcel, removed the ribbon and opened it. Everyone, except Ganpat, was dazed to see the expensive watches inside the parcel. (The chief noticed the flat expression on Ganpat’s face.)

  It was just the beginning. Nine parcels were opened one after the other revealing Alibaba’s treasure trove. There were over 200 watches in each parcel and no straps; but there were two parcels each containing a hundred watches and a hundred straps.

  Sufi further informs that the date was 1st August. The DRI chief confiscated the goods, and prepared a list appended by the signatures of three postal department officials as witnesses for panchnama.

  On 3rd August after lunch at 3-30, Ganpat was taken into custody under Section 108 of the Customs Act (1968). The section provides for the arrest of any person based on suspicion. The next was Iqbal. The DRI raided his godown at 4.30 p.m. At the time, there was only one tapori sitting inside to receive messages on the phone.

  The DRI did not find anything incriminating. But Khan received a major jolt upon learning that Iqbal had left for his honeymoon.

  How did this happen despite Iqbal having acted so well as to thwart his marriage? He had successfully given the impression of being a dangerous underworld don to his future father-in-law and surely, no father would offer a bully his daughter in marriage!

  Sufi informs me that the elders were certainly disappointed with him after the interview but had not yet lost hope. The reason was their acknowledgment of the other side of the coin. If Iqbal had a dark side, his other side was equally bright.

  Swinging between these two poles like a pendulum, the elders decided to make further inquiries. Iqbal seemed to have read their mind and made a call to his friend in Dongri. “Safdar! Just listen carefully.” He told over the phone. “Two oldies will visit you in about ten minutes.”

  “So?”

  “They will ask you some personal questions about me. In fact, whatever they ask, you have to tell them that the boy is a graduate from the school for scoundrels.”

  “Yaar, you know very well that I don’t lie.” The friend was honest. “I promise, I’ll answer them truthfully whatever they ask.”

  “I permit you to add masala to whatever you say about me.”

  “But why?” Now, it was the friend’s turn to ask.

  “I don’t want to spoil any one’s life by marrying her.”

  “Are you going to remain single all your life?”

  “Maybe.”

  “But Islam doesn’t favour celibacy.”

  “Try to understand, I’m not in a position to marry at this stage,” he said, underlining it. “Now, can I expect you to lecture the visitors on the dark side of your friend?”

  He laughed and put down the receiver. The same moment the two elders appeared at Safdar’s door step. “Are you Safdarbhai?”

  He nodded welcoming them respectfully and offered them chairs. As soon as the formalities were over, they began the next interview. The girl’s father asked the first question, “Is it true that your friend Iqbal offers namaaz five times a day?”

  “Yes.”

  “Every Friday, does he go to the mosque to pray?”

  “Of course.”

  “Does he keep all the fasts during the holy month of Ramadan?”

  “True.”

  “Does he observe ten days of mourning during Moharram?”

  “Yes, he does.”

  “Can he be called a scholar in theology?”

  “In a way, yes.”

  “Now, tell us if he is addicted to paan, bidi, cigarette, liquor or gambling?”

  “Not at all.”

  Both the elders looked at each other with full satisfaction and got up when Safdar interjected, “Wouldn’t you like to ask anything more?” Both thanked him and left.

  Iqbal was married into the same clan as I was.

  Iqbal’s wife’s name is Masooma.

  My wife too is called Masooma.

  Both of us have grown up in the same environment, studied in the same school. Our circumstances were also the same. Both of us have struggled hard against hunger. Yet, both parted ways and made tracks in diametrically opposite directions.

  Iqbal says – It’s destiny.

  I have already stated earlier – I’ve chosen my own path, my own battlefield, my own destiny.

  What do you say?

  The End

  Post Script: Recently (1990), Iqbal Rupani ‘Sufi’ founded a paint company by the name of Sahyadri Paints. Before this he used to buy old cars, repair them and sell them. For the near future, he has prepared a plan worth one and a half crore rupees. Once that materializes, he will become the owner of a drum-manufacturing factory.

  THE TALE OF TWO TITANS

  Mahanagar, a local Hindi evening newspaper from Mumbai, had serialised this book in 1992. Upon its completion, the author and Mr. Iqbal Rupani were interviewed by Pranav Priyadarshi in an attempt to clarify some of the doubts that may be still lingering in the minds of readers. This is a translated transcript.

  AABID SURTI

  Q. To begin with, what triggered the idea of writing this novel?

  A. Firstly let me make it clear once again that this is not a work of fiction, it is a biography. Of course the form is that of a novel. Normally biographies are so boring to read that readers just put them aside. So I’ve tried to make it readable by presenting it in a different form, otherwise it’s based on fact, not fiction. Except for the name Suraiyya, all the other names, incidents, dates, and times are true to the best of my knowledge.

  Q. But why the underworld?

  A. You see, I was brought up in Dongri ghetto (Mumbai). I’ve lived there from 1940 to 1976 and seen young Muslim boys entering the underworld to survive hunger and unemployment. Other factors like superstition and illiteracy played a major role in the downfall of that society as a whole. I wanted to encompass all that and a real life character from the underworld fit the bill.

  Q. Don’t you feel that knowingly or unknowingly you have glorified the underworld by eulogizing the character of Sufi?

  A. Sufi’s life is like the two sides of a coin and I’ve tried to present both in proper perspective. On the one hand he was neck deep in illicit business, while on the other; he is a devout Muslim who respects all the other religions. Perhaps because I have not ignored his positive side, it sometimes sounds like he is being extolled...

  Q. Sufi – The Invisible Man of the Underworld is a biography, as well as reportage. Have you done journalism too?

  A. Of course, but not like you people.

  Q. You said that you wanted to paint a true picture of the Muslim community. Please tell us what exactly is the true picture?

  A. I divide people into two categories—those who follow knowingly and those who follow blindly. Most Muslims are blind followers of Islam. On top of that, lack of education compounds their problems. Naturally they believe whatever the mullahs preach or the so-called Muslim leadership exhorts. Since they are uneducated and uninformed they are unable to identify the real issues. The day this community comes out of the da
rkness, the so-called leadership will have to pack and leave. One more tragedy with this community is that the leadership fails to come up from within. If some outsider genuinely tries to help them he is soon branded a BJP agent, an enemy of Islam. What is urgently needed is a true leader from within.

  Q. Aabid bhai, you have said that there is nothing fictitious about this book. Then why not disclose the identity of DK?

  A. Like Suraiyya’s name, I had to conceal the identity for some technical reasons. All the same, I can give one more clue to that mysterious character. His initials are not DK but KD and in the sixties and seventies he was identified by the media but his father always shielded him.

  Q. If this is your biography, it’s incomplete. Can we expect part two?

  A. Sure, but not in the near future. In this volume I’ve covered the period from birth {1935} to marriage {1965}. In the second volume I intend to cover the phase from marriage to the present time.

  Q. Can we expect to meet the same characters – Suraiyya, Kiran, Iqbal – in that?

  A. Iqbal will certainly be there because it’s a jugalbandi, which means two together. Regarding the other characters, I’m afraid I’m not sure. Once again I remind you, in life you can’t expect growth like fiction. I mean love-separation-happy ending. In life we rarely come across the people who have left us. Who knows where Suraiyya is today? Where Kiran has vanished. Inspector Bhesadia is no more, but where did Mr Khan get transferred? So you can expect a caravan of new characters and a few of the old.

  IQBAL RUPANI {SUFI}

  Q. Let’s begin from the other end of the book. Ganpat Chalke was arrested in the end. What about you?

  A. I was arrested but not sentenced.

  Q. Why?

  A. DRI didn’t have any proof to convict me, nor did I confess anything. By the way, does any big fish in our country get convicted ever? I’d say that in the present situation it’s nearly impossible. In the name of the culprit, usually some of his associates like drivers and relatives are sentenced, most of whom are innocent. Of course some taporis too are arrested, but never the big fish.

  Q. What is the reason for such a situation?

  A. In the first place, the officers are not interested in arresting them. In case the crime is glaring and they decide to arrest them, they are helpless. Because they are beyond their reach. In the end, if they somehow succeed in arresting them, they fail to convict them. They can’t prove anything. Also, in the absence of witnesses the case is shut for good.

  Q. But why don’t the witnesses come forward?

  A. Who would want to visit court again and again leaving his job and curse himself for getting into the mess? Nobody knows for how many years a court case will run. Secondly, the question of safety is vital. When the witness starts getting threats, he goes to the police station. The cops tell him, “Come to us when something serious happens. Even we get threats every day. So what?” Leave aside the witnesses, there is no guarantee of safety for the informers also. We come to know from the custom collector’s office itself if someone rats on us. If the collector doesn’t want to be the one to disclose the name, he writes the name on a slip of paper and passes it on to the peon. We then know the name and also know how to deal with him.

  I know a guy who had given the information to customs of gold worth Rs.14 crores to be smuggled into India. He was assured beyond doubt that his name would remain a secret. On that information the customs had a big catch of gold. The informer got Rs.70,00,000 as a gift cheque. But the cheque was given to him through the peon. The peon swiftly got the cheque xeroxed before delivering and passed the Xerox to the gang. A few days later the guy who got the cheque was found dead. Now, in such a situation, how can you expect anyone to come forward and be a witness?

  Q. Does that mean that it’s impossible to stop smuggling?

  A. Looking at the laws and the present style of functioning, it seems impossible. One of my brothers was caught carrying drugs. I met the relevant officer and told him—look, my brother is still scared of prison. If you lock him up once, that fear will go away. And by putting him behind bars the narcotic trade isn’t going to stop. It will be better if you try to rout this racket. He asked me—how? I told him to use my brother as a decoy. Release him with the drugs. Then he will deliver it at the pre-decided place, which is on the border of Holland. He will get his commission. No one will suspect him. After that you just have to get them arrested. The party will lose the fare up to Holland’s border and the stuff too will be seized before it reaches the market. If it’s done a few times the party will go bankrupt. The tapories and the carriers will be automatically thrown out. But that officer didn’t agree. He argued—how do we do that? Our superiors won’t co-operate to release an arrested runner. I told him the bitter truth – you may get the President’s Award by the dozen, but you won’t be able to stop trafficking in a hundred years.

  Q. Can you give us some inside information about drug trafficking?

  A. There are many ways to do it. Also new ones are invented if required.

  Q. Tell us something about the new ones.

  A. Nowadays narcotics are often smuggled in the form of an idol.

  Q. Please elaborate a bit.

  A. This technique is possible if one has a knowledge of certain chemicals. The drug is converted into pulp using these, and like plaster of Paris, it’s molded into a fancy statue or a holy idol. It looks so real that you can’t figure out even by touching it. Later, using the same chemicals, the idol is converted back to powder.

  Q. What do you think of our government’s endeavor to stop drug trafficking?

  A. Same as their efforts to stop contraband goods. In fact in the matter of narcotic drugs it’s the worst. For example, if a person is arrested for drug trafficking, he is sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. Now see the fun. Neither the quantity is considered by the law nor the quality. One gets ten years for possessing high drugs like heroin and ten years for the soft ones also. Ten years for having ten grams and ten years for having a hundred tons. Isn’t it foolish?

  According to the Narcotic Trafficking Abolition Act, hearings of these cases can be held only at the special courts. Now, the Govt. has created only four courts so far. For these no special or outside judge is appointed. Those same old judges sit on the cushioned chairs with ‘special’ added to their designation. What I mean is in Bombay alone, there are nearly 5000 cases pending and the judges are just four.

  Q. Really?

  A. In a month the maximum cases the court can hear is two. Imagine, after how many years will the 5000th case come to a hearing? Fifty? What would you call it – travesty of justice? The punishment for this offence is ten years by law but an accused rots for fifty years. Who is guilty? The accused or the system?

  One more thing, of the runners arrested in drug trafficking in Bombay alone, thousands are foreigners. They all are rotting in jail because the offence is nonbailable. These are mostly carriers who have taken up this task due to poverty or helplessness. By arresting these guys, you can’t stop trafficking. On the contrary, the Govt. spends lakhs of rupees and will keep on spending crores in the coming fifty years and that’s our hard earned money.

  I have a suggestion — They all should be released on Rs.50,000 bail each so that our government gets Rs.5,00,00,000 for nothing. And no visa for these foreigners in the future so that they can’t enter to carry out the drug business on our soil. But who in bureaucracy cares to use intelligence to implement such practical ways?

  Q. Indeed a good suggestion. But in our country the narcotic business is spreading…

  A. May I tell you an interesting fact? You may not believe it, but it’s true that in the name of narcotic trafficking abolition so much hue and cry is being created that a common man starts believing this bogey. In fact, the reality is totally different.

  Q. If it’s a bogey then where do the people seen taking hash in the dark corners of bylanes and on railway tracks get their quota from?

  A. What they
get as hash or narcotic substance is some powder with a pinch of drug. Often, even that is missing.

  Q. But they do get a kick.

  A. You may call it placebo effect. Narcotic substances are so expensive that it’s almost beyond the reach of a common man to buy them. You tell me, the addicts you just mentioned, can they afford to buy at Rs.100 a gram? What they get as the drug is an adulterated powder.

  Q. Now a few personal questions—what do your brothers do these days?

  A. Busy with their own occupations.

  Q. The one that God forbids or the one that He approves?

  A. (Smiles) The one that He approves.

  Q. What are you busy with?

  A. I’m into the stock market.

  Q. There is big bungling going on there due to Harshad Mehta.

  A. Harshad Mehta is an idiot. For nothing he aggravated the situation. If I’d been in his place, I’d have confessed my offence. The situation wouldn’t have worsened. Of course I’d have been sentenced and you know how our prisons function?

  Q. How?

  A. They have become free guest houses. Whatever comfort’s available in the outside world is also available there, if you have money to throw.

  Q. Is this your own experience speaking or…

  A. Of course I’m talking from my personal experience. Once I was convicted in a smuggling case. For security reasons I was transferred to a jail outside Bombay.

  There in the jail I earned more then I’d earned outside. Outside I’ve to shell out a rupee to phone. Here the Indian Govt paid my call charges. I mean, I used to sit comfortably in the jail superintendent’s office and make calls.

  Q. I’d like to ask one more question – why do you make all this public?