In an earlier blog, I had told you the story of how the authorities in Johannesburg tried to establish contact with me in the hope that I will lead them to former drug baron Vicky Goswami.

Goswami is the live-in partner of former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni even though official documents in Dubai allegedly describe them as husband and wife.

Mamta Kulkarni in an interview to me denied that she is married to Vicky Goswami, but eventually went on to admit that she is deeply in love with him.

Currently, Vicky tops the ‘most wanted list’ in Johannesburg and he is wanted for his alleged role in one of the near perfect crimes in the history of South Africa — the murder of one its infamous drug lords, Robert ‘Rocks’ Dlamini.

It seems that my sources in Johannesburg are desperate to keep the conversation going. Now, they have invented another tactic which they think would keep me hooked to the ongoing dialogue between us.

I have been granted access to something that nobody in India has had the privilege of — the top-secret criminal files of Vicky Goswami. And that’s how I could access the latest photograph of Goswami that is there in the police files of Johannesburg.

I am publishing the photo here without the permission of Johannesburg Police. I am really sorry.

I couldn’t resist it as this is for the first time that Vicky’s photograph is being published anywhere in the world as it has always been the exclusive property of Johannesburg police.

Along with the photograph, here is some exclusive information about Vicky. This information has never been published anywhere before.

I am again sorry for letting things out without permission. You see, being a journalist one cannot resist the urge to write when you have exclusive information. I am giving in to the lure.

Hope everybody concerned will understand.

The story of the rise and fall of Mamta Kulkarni’s alleged husband reads like a Bollywood script and surely makes for a gripping film. Who knows, It might allow us some respite from watching the Bollywood versions of Dawood Ibrahim, over and over again?

So, here is the story that nobody told you before.

The history-sheet of Vijay ‘Vicky’ Goswami

(1) Vicky’s early days in Mumbai: Very little is documented about Vicky Goswami’s initial days as a drug-dealer in Mumbai. During the early days of his criminal career (in the 1980s), Goswami gained popularity by supplying drugs to high-profile party goers in Mumbai.

His exact parentage is not known but it is certain he knew how to speak Bengali and Assamese fluently giving rise to the speculation that he hails from one of these regions. Vicky parents died early and police records don’t have any mention of a sibling though a lot of people speculate that he has a sister somewhere.

Vicky was very popular in Bollywood as he used to supply Mandrax tablets (a drug that induces hallucinations) to party-goers and that’s how he became the number one drug supplier among celebrity addicts. He was so popular that at one point of time, celebrity parties in Mumbai were incomplete without him.

By selling Mandrax at very high rates in Mumbai parties, Goswami amassed huge wealth and even started investing in the hotel business. He allegedly bought a hotel in South Mumbai with the money from his drug dealings.

After he mastered art of drug dealing, he became ambitious and wanted to graduate to managing the supply chain of Mandrax tablets. To serve this purpose, he made up his mind to go to Zambia where the drug was manufactured.

Besides, Goswami’s luck in Mumbai was running out as the Anti-Narcotics Bureau of the Mumbai Police was zeroing in on him.

Soon, Vicky was on a plane to Zambia.

(2) Vicky migrates to Zambia: With superb brains and networking skills, Goswami soon took control of a Mandrax factory in Zambia. It was not easy for Vicky to set up a factory in a foreign land and that too in Zambia where the crime rate is one of the highest.

One must credit Goswami with the courage and skills that he showed at that point of time. An ambitious Vicky was quick on his steps and began expanding his operations through his contacts in Mumbai.

Police records state that at least two attempts were made on his life and Vicky survived both of them to establish a Mandrax factory in Zambia. He greased the palms of the authorities and established a large gang of locals who worked under him.

He soon started a new supply chain of Mandrax tablets to India through Mumbai. His operations started increasing sharply as there was a huge demand for Mandrax among the elite clientele. However, Vicky couldn’t be the top drug supplier as it was firmly occupied by a Greek called Milanos Constantino.

(3) Vicky meets his Godfather: Vicky’s fate took a dramatic turn for the better when he came in contact with a businessman called Irvin Khoja.

Khoja was the chairperson of Orlando Pirates Football club in South Africa and later became the chairman of South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup bid.

Khoja was successful in his bid and managed to host the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. That turned him into one of the biggest celebrities and businessmen of South Africa.

Though Khoja was popularly known as the ‘Iron Duke’ and even honoured with a civilian title by the president of South Africa, there were several criminal cases against him.

It was by sheer coincidence that Vicky came in contact with Khoja.

Police records say that the criminal history of Khoja dates back to 1978 when a case of fraud was registered against him at the Johannesburg Central Police Station (case number 88/8/1978). He was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in jail but he managed to dodge that by paying a fine of R3000 (Rands) on February 5 1979.

More than a year later, another fraud case was filed against Khoja at the same police station in June 1980 (case number 100/6/1980). In another separate case, he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment and he again escaped a jail term after paying R2000 as fine on September 18, 1981.

After paying fines after fines to escape jail terms, Khoja made up his mind to start a ‘legitimate’ business and started importing wines from Zambia.

It was during one of those wine appreciation trips to Zambia that Khoja was allegedly introduced to two international drug barons — Vijay “Vicky” Goswami and Milanos Constantino.

This proved to the turning point of Vicky Goswami’s career as from here there was no looking back for him.

For the rest of the story, please wait for the next instalment tomorrow.

————————————————————————————————————————————-

Update on October 13, 2013: “The person in the photo is not Vicky Goswami,” says Mamta Kulkarni on her latest blog addressed to me. Fairness demands that I acknowledge the rejoinder. Here is link to the denial -> http://bit.ly/17mUKYj

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short-link -> http://wp.me/p3x1zT-AC
Irvin Khoza's picture taken from here
Mamta Kulkarni pictures taken from her personal blog