D-Company's Chhota Shakeel denies threatening Lalit Modi, calls allegations baseless

After Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi claimed to have been targeted by fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, which he insists is the primary reason behind his exit from cricket administration, Chhota Shakeel, a key operative of the so-called D-Company, on Thursday explicitly denied any wrongdoing and described the claims as baseless and without substance.

In an interview with News18, Shakeel rejected allegations that the syndicate had threatened, attacked or attempted to abduct Modi or any member of his family.

The statement marks a rare and direct intervention from the top of D-Company concerning high-stakes financial controversies linked to Indian cricket and business elites.

Addressing the allegations, Shakeel said the syndicate had never attempted to harm Modi and denied any connection between D-Company and the IPL. He also rejected claims that the group had operated an extortion racket targeting the former cricket administrator, reported News 18.

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However, Shakeel acknowledged the existence of a financial dispute, claiming that certain payments remained outstanding and that efforts were being made only to recover those dues. He did not provide further details about the alleged transaction.

The D-Company operative also categorically denied allegations of any plot to kidnap Modi or his relatives, maintaining that no such operation had ever been planned and asserting that targeting family members was not part of the syndicate's methods.

The comments followed recent statements by Modi, who said he had been forced out of cricket administration because of threats from Dawood Ibrahim and his associates.

In an interview with ANI, Modi defended his tenure as IPL commissioner and chairman, claiming that the tournament remained free from match-fixing scandals during his leadership.

"You didn't hear of a single incident during my three years as IPL commissioner and chairman, nor a single investigation involving match-fixing during my time," Modi was quoted as saying.

Modi further alleged that he survived three assassination attempts orchestrated by Dawood Ibrahim and claimed that his son was kidnapped in London in 2012.

The former vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India launched the IPL in 2008 and served as its chairman for the first three seasons before being removed from the position in 2010.

In 2013, the BCCI imposed a lifetime ban on Modi from all cricket-related activities.

With inputs from agencies