Bengaluru: Is India’s most wanted fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim tightening his hold on coastal district of Karnataka? Well, sources in the Intelligence answer in affirmation to this claim.

If sources are to be believed then Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is behind killings of the BJP and other right wing leaders and activists in the country including Mangaluru in Karnataka.

The terrorist has been carrying out these targeted killing through his right hand man Patel Javed Dawood, alias Tailor, alias Javed Chikna, who lives in Karachi with Dawood under the protection of Pakistan’s ISI.

It is said that Chikna was behind the murder of Bajrang Dal member and anti-cow slaughter activist Prashanth Poojary in Moodbidri in Dakshin Kannada district on October 9 at the behest of Dawood. He had also killed former president of BJP’s Bharuch (Gujarat) unit, Shirish Bangali, and general secretary of the BJP youth wing, Pragnesh Mistry in Bharuch last month, say Intelligence sources.

Poojary was killed in broad daylight by six bike-borne men. Mangaluru police have so far arrested 10 out of 17 accused, who are allegedly members of a “socially committed” voluntary organisation. Their links with Chikna are under scanner, it is said.

Chikna is also allegedly behind the recent near fatal attacks on three other people in coastal Karnataka – Ashok and Vasu in Handel near Moodbidri and Jaya Kotiyan in nearby Permude village, after mistaking them as “saffron and anti-cow slaughter activists. In Gujarat, the police have handed over the contract killings to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Chikna, as he was called in the underworld is Dawood’s chief lieutenant from the days of the infamous 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. He is accused (absconding) number 64 in the chargesheet. He fled to Pakistan soon after the blasts and now allegedly lives in Karachi, close to Dawood, under the ISI protection. “Chikna hires sharpshooters from India to kill targeted BJP and right wing members and leaders.