NEW DELHI: Dubai-based gangster Kala Jathedi is learnt to have approached jailed crime lord Lawrence Bishnoi through his henchmen to help him seek revenge from arrested wrestler Sushil Kumar.
Sources said Jathedi had sent out messages to Bishnoi and his aide, Sampat Nehra, for the task.
Nehra was earlier held for allegedly plotting to kill actor Salman Khan.
Intelligence inputs suggests there may be a bid on Kumar’s life during a staged brawl in jail.
Inputs also indicated that organised gangs affiliated to Kumar or his rivals might try to target the witnesses in the case, sources said.
Amid these reports, the Delhi Prison administration has shifted Bishnoi and Nehra to Tihar Jail from the Mandoli campus.
While officials termed it as a routine reshuffle, sources said this had been done to ensure the arrested Olympian’s safety.
Kumar has been in Mandoli’s jail number 15 ever since he was sent to judicial remand.
Bishnoi was in Ajmer jail, but the special cell had recently interrogated him and associates after taking them on remand.
Bishnoi and Nehra, now arrested under MCOCA, were recently shifted to ward number 4 of Mandoli Jail number 1.
Bishnoi, it is learnt, was shifted two days ago while Nehra was moved on Monday.
They are in the high-security ward of Tihar Jail No.
1, sources said.
Tihar is making foolproof arrangements for their lodging.
A special security apparatus has also been put in place for Kumar at Mandoli.
Kala Jathedi and his Man Friday, Sonu Mahaal, seem in no mood to mend bridges with Kumar, it appears.
Mahaal, who was among those assaulted by Sushil on the night of May 4, has been nurturing a grudge against him and his aide, Ajay, since March.
The investigation has revealed that the two factions had clashed two month ago over a girl.
Sonu Mahaal, who is Jathedi’s nephew, had celebrated his girlfriend’s birthday at the flat in Model Town during which Kumar’s best friend, Ajay — who was also arrested last month — had allegedly misbehaved with her and also clicked her pictures.
This had outraged Mahaal who then, along with Sagar Dhankad, got into a verbal spat with Ajay and Kumar.
Taking advantage of the situation, Kumar allegedly asked Mahaal and Sagar to vacate the flat.
This had angered Jathedi even more because he had allegedly helped Kumar usurp that disputed flat and wanted a share.
Sources said that the assault was the second blow to the Jathedi gang that had been wanting to avenge the “ill-treatment” meted out to Mahaal’s girlfriend.
This was why Jathedi had refused to strike a compromise with Kumar when he was on the run.
Jathedi has a reward of Rs 7 lakh on him.
He has been indulging in large-scale grabbing of disputed properties in Delhi through Mahaal and others, police say.
Kumar allegedly joined hands with Jathedi and landed on a property in Model Town.
This flat was being used to shelter criminals belonging to Jathedi-Lawrence Bishnoi gang and many crime plots were hatched there, said an officer.
Kumar later joined hands with gangster Neeraj Bawana and Naveen Bali and fell out with Jathedi.