Prateek Tanmay
Recent investigations by Indian security agencies into an alleged Pakistan linked espionage network have once again brought the spotlight on Sayyad Muzzakkir Muddasar Hussain, better known as Munna Jhingada, a notorious gangster turned terror accused who is believed to be operating from Karachi under the protection of the Dawood Ibrahim network.
His name resurfaced prominently in 2023 when the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) uncovered an alleged espionage network operating on behalf of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Investigators alleged that Jhingada, operating from Pakistan, had transferred funds to his maternal uncle, Sayyed Armaan, to recruit agents and facilitate anti India activities.
The probe led to the arrest of Armaan and his associate Mohammad Raees, who were accused of collecting photographs and sensitive information related to Indian military installations in Uttar Pradesh and sharing them with ISI handlers. According to investigators, funds sent by Jhingada were routed through another accused, Mohammad Salman Siddique, before reaching Raees.
In a joint operation on July 16, 2023, the Juhu ATS and Uttar Pradesh ATS arrested 65 year old Armaan and 25 year old Siddique from Jogeshwari in Mumbai. Both were subsequently handed over to the UP ATS. Armaan, Raees and Siddique remain lodged in a Uttar Pradesh jail, while Jhingada was declared a wanted accused in the case.
Rise in Mumbai’s Underworld
Jhingada’s entry into the criminal world dates back to February 12, 1990, when he was a second year Bachelor of Arts student at a college in Jogeshwari. According to police records, he stabbed a man named Wazir to death after witnessing a dispute involving his friends. He later surrendered before the police and was released on bail in November 1991.
After briefly returning to work in his father’s plumbing business, Jhingada was again drawn into violence. On March 31, 1994, Wazir’s brother, Nazir, and his associates allegedly attacked him in retaliation for the earlier murder. During the clash, Jhingada allegedly assaulted Nazir before surrendering at the Meghwadi police station.
Between 1990 and 1995, he was named in several serious offences, including murder and attempted murder. Following the murder of Nishar Ahmed in August 1995, Jhingada fled to his native village in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district. Investigators say he spent nearly six months practising with country made firearms before returning to Mumbai as a sharpshooter for Chhota Shakeel’s gang.
Joining the D Company Network
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A key turning point came after his arrest on March 24, 1996. While lodged in Arthur Road Jail, Jhingada came into contact with Ismail Malabari, a trusted aide of Chhota Shakeel. According to senior Crime Branch officials, Malabari helped secure his bail and introduced him to Shakeel’s network.
Investigators claim that between 1994 and 1999, Jhingada carried out several contract killings on behalf of the syndicate. Among the murders attributed to him was that of hawala operator Sunil Jain, who was suspected of handling funds linked to rival gangster Chhota Rajan and maintaining ties with a prominent Mumbai encounter specialist.
His growing proximity to Chhota Shakeel allegedly attracted the attention of Pakistan’s intelligence establishment. By 1999, Jhingada had relocated to Karachi, where he is believed to have become part of Dawood Ibrahim’s inner circle.
Bangkok Plot and Extradition Battle
Jhingada’s most high profile operation allegedly came in 2000 when he was part of the failed assassination attempt on underworld rival Chhota Rajan in Bangkok.
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According to Mumbai Crime Branch officials, Chhota Shakeel assigned a team that included Jhingada and Rashid Malabari to eliminate Rajan. Investigators claimed the operation carried a contract value of Rs 4 crore. Rajan survived the attack despite sustaining injuries and later escaped from a Bangkok hospital.
Jhingada was arrested by Thai authorities and subsequently convicted by a Bangkok court, which sentenced him to 11 years in prison.
After completing his sentence in 2011, India sought his extradition from Thailand in 2012. The request triggered a prolonged legal battle after Pakistani authorities claimed that Jhingada was not an Indian citizen but a Pakistani national named Mohammed Salim.
To establish his identity, the Mumbai Crime Branch submitted birth records, criminal case documents and fingerprint evidence. According to police officials, forensic examinations conducted in Thailand matched the fingerprints submitted by Indian authorities with those of Jhingada, weakening Pakistan’s claim.
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In August 2018, a Thai lower court approved his extradition to India. Jhingada challenged the order before a higher court, prompting Mumbai Police to submit a fresh dossier in 2019 containing details of his criminal history, fingerprints, six non bailable warrants issued by Mumbai courts and an Interpol Red Corner Notice.
Pakistani authorities, meanwhile, produced a Pakistani passport and records relating to the birth and education of Jhingada’s children in support of their citizenship claim. Jhingada also reportedly refused to undergo a DNA test.
On September 16, 2019, Thailand’s higher court rejected India’s extradition request. A month later, Jhingada relocated to Karachi, where investigators believe he continues to reside under the protection of the Dawood Ibrahim network.
