What Happened to Mohammed Shakeel Babu Miyan Shaikh (Chhota Shakeel)?

Mohammed Shakeel Babu Miyan Shaikh, widely known as Chhota Shakeel, emerged as a prominent figure in the Indian underworld, becoming a trusted lieutenant and the alleged 'CEO' of Dawood Ibrahim's notorious D-Company. Born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1955 or 1960, Shakeel initially ran a travel agency before joining the D-Company in 1988. His rise within the syndicate was significant, particularly after the 1993 Bombay bombings, in which he was an alleged participant, and the subsequent split between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.

Shakeel was reportedly responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the D-Company, overseeing a vast criminal empire that included international drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and extortion. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2012 under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for his involvement in international drug trafficking. Authorities suspected him of working with Afghan and Colombian suppliers and even investing in diamond mines in Africa, bartering diamonds for weapons with groups like the Ukrainian mafia's Odessa. He reportedly acquired multiple passports from Botswana and Malawi to facilitate his illegal diamond trade.

Persistent rumors of Chhota Shakeel's death first surfaced in December 2017, with reports suggesting he died of a heart attack in January 2017 in Islamabad or Dushanbe, Tajikistan. One version claimed he was killed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) because he was becoming difficult to manage. However, Indian intelligence officials could not officially confirm these reports, and an audio clip purportedly of Dawood Ibrahim discussing Shakeel's death also circulated but remained unauthenticated. Despite these rumors, a photograph allegedly taken in 2016 surfaced in August 2018, suggesting he was alive at that time.

As of 2026, Chhota Shakeel's actual physical status remains unconfirmed, adding to the mystery surrounding him. However, his name and network continue to be actively associated with ongoing criminal enterprises. In February 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case against Dawood Ibrahim, his brother Anees, and Chhota Shakeel on charges of terror funding. In May 2022, the NIA arrested two alleged aides, Arif Abubakar Shaikh and Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh, for handling the D-Company's illegal activities and financial transactions, explicitly linking them to Chhota Shakeel. The NIA later filed a chargesheet against Shakeel and others in November 2022 for their global terror network and organized crime syndicate.

More recently, in July 2025, seven members of an 'international gang' allegedly linked to Chhota Shakeel were arrested by Mumbai Police for kidnapping and extortion related to a failed Mephedrone drug deal. Furthermore, in March 2026, a Mumbai-based builder reportedly received a threat letter and a live bullet, purportedly from Chhota Shakeel. The most recent development, as of August 15, 2026, indicates that the High Court granted a three-month remission to an alleged aide of Chhota Shakeel in connection with a 1999 mayor attack case. These ongoing incidents underscore that, whether alive or dead, the 'virtual presence' and criminal infrastructure associated with Chhota Shakeel continue to pose a threat and operate under his formidable reputation.