Plot to kill Himesh, Santoshi busted

By: Raymond Ronamai
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Imagine a contestant at a music contest pulling out a gun on stage and spreeing bullets on the judges! It sounds unreal but it almost happened to hot and happening composer-singer-actor Himesh Reshammiya, who is one of the judges at Sa Re Ga Ma Pa music contest.

Underworld don Ejaz Lakdawala was all out to do away with Himesh Reshammiya and film director Rajkumar Santoshi. The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh police arrested four members of Ejaz Lakdawala gang who were on a mission to kill the duo. The arrested have been identified as Anees Radiowala, Mohammed Rahim Khan, Ishrat Warsi and Namdev.

The plot to kill Himesh went awry when one of the men, who was to get into Sa Re Ga Ma Pa singing competition as a contestant, was eliminated in the initial rounds. Later, they were dispatched to collect arms and recruit sharp shooters to do away Himesh and Santoshi.

"We were told we would be delivered the arms in Barabanki and had been given Rs.50,000 for the task. We had to take the weapons and deliver them to someone in Mumbai. They were intended for Reshammiya and Santoshi", revealed Anees Radiowala. He also confessed that they were directed to pick up a noted Lucknow businessman for ramsom.

The police recovered two revolvers, a pistol, a country made firearm, cartridges and Rs.5,500 from the arrested.