Delhi Police Thursday claimed to have nabbed a 35-year-old sharpshooter and a suspected aide of gangster Abu Salem from east Delhi’s Pandav Nagar area. Jaan Usman alias Usman Khan alias Reenu is wanted in several cases, including murder, attempt to murder and extortion, and has been arrested multiple times in Delhi and Mumbai. Police said Usman was arrested after his wife lodged an attempt to murder complaint at west Delhi’s Janakpuri police station. Khan, along with his two associates, had allegedly shot at his wife in Janakpuri on June 3.
DCP (Delhi east) Ombir Singh said one improvised pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from Usman’s possession.
“During interrogation, he told the police that he had gone to Mumbai in 1996, where he came in contact with one Waseem, a sharpshooter of Abu Salem’s gang. Waseem was accused in the murder of Gulshan Kumar (owner of T-Series Cassette Co. & a film producer). He introduced Usman to Salem and he joined the gang,” Singh said.
Thereafter, Singh said, Salem introduced him to one Aftab Bhatki, who was running a fake Indian currency note (FICN) racket from Dubai and Karachi. Usman joined him in circulating fake currency in India via Nepal and Bangladesh. He was arrested in Delhi in an FICN case in 2000.
After his release, he moved to Mumbai and started extorting money from Bollywood bigwigs on Salem’s directions. He was arrested for trying to extort money from film distributor Anil Thadani.
After his release from Mumbai jail, Usman returned to Delhi. In 2010, he was arrested again for the murder of a businessman in Vikaspuri, the DCP said.
