How Ram Kadam became MNS’s chief intimidator

A day after legislators led by Kadam assaulted a traffic cop in Vidhan Bhavan, Mirror chronicles his career built on threatening, intimidating and even beating up government and police officials

Shortly after dropping out of a diploma in electrical power systems in the early nineties, Ram Shivaji Kadam — the MNS legislator notorious for his high-handed and violent tactics — opened a small distribution agency, delivering tea packets on a cycle.

Born and raised in a chawl in Vikhroli, he also gave private tuition to schoolchildren and dabbled in money-lending.

Formers friends and neighbours remember a young Kadam as a soft-spoken, but pushy operator who knew how to build political contacts and “get things done” — a quality that years later landed him a ticket from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the 2009 assembly elections.

Kadam, 42, contested the elections from Ghatkopar (West) and defeated the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s daughter, Poonam, gaining political fame in the city overnight.

Long before he joined the MNS, it was Mahajan who hired Kadam as a peon-assistant, giving him access to political and government back-channels which, some say, Kadam used to build a fortune in real estate. Far from his cycling days, he now drives around in a Hummer, a Bentley and a Lexus, with private bodyguards close by.

The shocking assault of a traffic police officer by Kadam and other MLAs in the Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday has brought the MNS legislator’s past — and ‘rise’ — into focus.

A MODEST START
Kadam was born on January 24, 1972, and grew up with his elder brother, Dilip, in Kadam Chawl, Vikhroli (East). The father, originally from Latur, work edasan ‘officer’ at a private firm in Vikhroli, Hindustan Ferodo, earning just enough to send his sons to a local municipal school.

After the family’s financial position improved, Kadam was shifted to Ghatkopar’s Pune Vidya Bhavan School, where Pramod Mahajan’s son, Rahul, also studied. Kadam’s one-time friends say he always maintained a good relationship with Rahul.

After Std X, he pursued a diploma in electrical power systems. While some accounts say he completed his studies, others say he dropped out from the course after the second year. Later, he started a myriad of small businesses, even as he landed the job of a peon-assistant to Mahajan. “He mostly looked after petty finances of the BJP leader,” said a former aide to Mahajan. “Despite the limited work profile, he had significant exposure to political contacts and bureaucratic set-ups.”

EXIT FROM BJP 
After Mahajan lost a local election in 1998, Kadam was “alienated” from the BJP leader. “Due to his good ties with Mahajan and his son, Kadam had become an influential figure in the Mumbai unit. When some in the party started feeling threatened,they pitted him against Mahajan’s daughter, whom they saw as a promising candidate,” said a BJP leader. “The inner politics ultimately forced Kadam to quit.”

Later, Kadam started a construction firm with his friends, and launched his first project, Krishna Heights, in Khar. The company, Shivraj Builders & Developers, subsequently constructed nine other residential buildings. According to its website, it has since then completed over 30 projects,many of them in Khar.

Kadam, his wife and son lived in an 800-sq ft terrace apartment in Presidency Tower, Ghatkopar, but later moved to Shivraj Heights in Khar.

While it is not clear when Kadam joined the MNS, a source in the party said that Raj Thackeray hand-picked him for contesting the Ghatkopar (West) assembly seatin 2009. Poonam Mahajan also fought for the same seat, but lost to Kadam.

EXTRAVAGANT CELEBRATIONS 
After the poll win, Kadam became best known for organising extravagant Dahi Handi celebrations in Ghatkopar, inviting celebrities such as Rajesh Khanna and Jackie Shroff. In the past four years, however, the 42-year-old MLA has gained notoriety for threatening and assaulting government officials and cops, and forcing establishments, including hospitals, to toe his line.

During the assembly elections in October 2009, Kadam and his supporters assaulted Inspector Fulsingh Pawar from the Ghatkopar police station after he tried to stop them from creating a ruckus at a polling booth in the area. Kadam and his men, who had claimed that the election was being rigged at the booth, were were arrested and charged with rioting.

THE ABU AZMI SLAP ROW 
On November 9, 2009, four MNS legislators, including Kadam, were suspended from the assembly for four years after they slapped Samajwadi leader Abu Azmi in the assembly for taking his oath in Hindi, and not Marathi. Their suspension was revoked in July 2010.

Kadam is also known for holding ‘darbars’ and delivering his own brand of justice. Early in 2011, Kadam allegedly slapped rationing officer Prakash Pagote at a constituency meeting in Pantnagar after accusing him of trying to dodge questions about problems faced by residents.

In November that year, the police booked Kadam and five others for coercion, assault and criminal intimidation after a 50-year-old woman and her son were allegedly beaten up at his Ghatkopar office. The woman, Ambernath resident Pushpa Yadav,and her son rana cooperative saving scheme, and had failed to pay back investors. The two were taken to Kadam’s office, where his bodyguards and supporters assaulted them. A day after the humiliation, Yadav attempted suicide.

Police and civic officials have also been victims of Kadam’s high-handedness. On November 8,2011,he was booked for abusing and assaulting cops who shut down a lounge where he was partying the previous night. The lounge, on Juhu Tara Road, had been operating way past the 1.30 am deadline.

A CALL FOR VANDALISM
In April 2012, posters featuring Kadam’s pictures appeared across Ghatkopar, urging residents to gather in large numbers and ransack Rajawadi Hospital. The reason: the hospital’s alleged inability to provide emergency care.

In January this year, MNS workers thrashed sub-engineer Mahesh Phad after he didn’t heed Kadam’s warnings against demolishing an illegal structure in Ghatkopar that reportedly housed his aide’s office.

It is this brand of intimidation that has made Kadam a key figure in the party. “He doesn’t interact withot her sin the party much. But he has direct access to Raj Thackeray, and operates independently,” said an MNS functionary.
Curtosy:
Yogesh Sadhwani and Chaitanya Marpakwar mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com 
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=MIRRORNEW&BaseHref=MMIR/2013/03/21&PageLabel=10&EntityId=Ar01000&ViewMode=HTML