D-Company

Dawood Company is a term coined by the media for the organized criminal group controlled by wanted crime boss Dawood Ibrahim.

Overview
Dawood Ibrahim established a criminal syndicate in the 1970s India.

Other prominent members of the gang include Chhota Shakeel, Tiger Memon, Yakub Memon, and Abu Salem. The organization has a history of rivalry with the Mumbai police and other underworld dons such as Chhota Rajan, Ejaz Lakdawala, who was arrested in Canada in 2004, and Arun Gawli.

History
In the 1970s, Dawood Ibrahim worked for a local smuggler named Mastan. Mastan had a close friendship with Dawood's father, who was a police constable. However, Mastan and Dawood had a falling-out after Basu Dada insulted the latter's father. In 1976, Dawood - along with seven of his close friends and his elder brother Shabir - attacked Mastan with empty soda bottles.

After this incident Basu Dada's key enforcer Khalid Phelewan persuaded Dawood to start his own smuggling operations, which led to the formation of the D Company. Dawood and his elder brother Shabir, with the help of Khalid Phelewan, began their smuggling operations. This ultimately led them to clash with the Pathan gang, the strongest gang in Mumbai at the time. By 1986, D Company had eliminated most of the Pathan gang leadership - emerging as the dominant gang in Mumbai.

In 1993, D-Company associates were accused of organizing the 1993 Bombay bombings. , although Dawood denies any involvement to this day.

In 1997, D-Company was responsible for the murder of T-Series founder and Bollywood music producer Gulshan Kumar.

In 2011, Indian intelligence agencies managed to link Dawood Company with the 2G spectrum case, through DB Realty and DB Etisalat (formerly Swan Telecom) promoted by Shahid Balwa. Later in March, security at CBI headquarters in Delhi was tightened after it had been suggested that D-Company might launch an attack in an attempt to destroy documents relating to the ongoing probe of the 2G spectrum case.

In 2015, a US Congressional report alleged that the D-Company was a "5,000-member criminal syndicate operating mostly in Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates," which has a "strategic alliance" with ISI and has "forged relationships with Islamists, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and al-Qaida." However, the report had no political implications, and was mainly to brief lawmakers.

In popular culture
At times, Dawood Company has been linked to the Bollywood film industry, as well as real estate and betting businesses, from which it is said to derive considerable revenue. The 2002 film Company is based loosely on its activities, as well as its sequel (prequel to the storyline) D (2005), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (2010). The 2013 movie Shootout at Wadala is based on the rise of the D-Company.