<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">MUMBAI: <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Khokha </span>is archaic, so is <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">peti</span>. According to the new mafia lexicon, <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">peti </span>(Rs 1 lakh cash) has been replaced with <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">haath </span>and <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">khokha </span>(Rs 1 core) with <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">kaan</span>. <br /><br />So, the next time you get an extortion call, don''t be surprised if the bhai asks for <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">do haath </span>or <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">ek kaan</span>. The police say the mafiosi has changed its code language. And the cops claim they cracked the new code through underworld sources. <br /><br />The mafia has given code names to police officers as well. For example, encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar, who is known to be a religious person, is called <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Maharaj</span>, while senior inspector Pradeep Sharma is called <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Bawa</span>. An inspector, who was earlier attached to the squad led by Sharma, is referred to as ''Francis'' (a character from the film <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Ab Tak Chappan</span>). The film was based on Sharma''s encounter squad.<br /><br />Daya Nayak, the subinspector who was embroiled in a controversy of collecting over Rs 1 crore for a school in his village in Karnataka, is referred to as a <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Crorepati</span>. He is also called <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Anna</span> by a certain gang because he is a south Indian. <br /><br />A policeman is now referred to as a bidi. In the past, they were called <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">pandu</span> and <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">thulla</span>. Said an officer, "The common man knows most of the old codes as they are freely used in stories, fiction and films portraying the underworld." <br /><br />Though gangs keep changing codes almost every three to four years, the cops have their <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">khabris </span>(informants), who help them decode the language. Said an encounter specialist, "We listen to tapped telephonic conversations of gangsters. If we come across any strange word or expression, we crack the codes." <br /><br />Recently, the police found that AK-47, which was earlier referred to as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">jhadoo </span>(broom), had been renamed guitar. A revolver and a pistol, which was earlier called a chakri and cassette, was till recently referred to as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Ma </span>and <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Bacche</span>. A gang leader would call his henchmen, inquiring, <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Ma Bacche hain na saath mein</span>? (Do you have revolver and pistol for the operation?). But this again has been changed to chappal (revolver) and file (pistol). <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">File se marna </span>would now mean "Shoot him with a pistol." <br /><br />The underworld would never use the word ''cash'', ''currency'' or <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">paise/rupiah</span> on the phone. Earlier they called money as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">kagaj </span>and now they refer to it as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">lottery</span>. If a policeman has to be bribed, the gang member would be instructed, <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Guldasta </span>(bouquet) de do usko. If they have to talk about making a ''fake passport'', they would refer to it as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">puttha </span>or a <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">chidiya </span>(the earlier code for pagers, which are obsolete now). <br /><br />A mobilephone, earlier called a <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">kauva </span>(crow), is now termed as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">hathwala</span>. Even the most popular word ''game'' which means ''murder'' has been replaced as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">de</span>. The don would simply say: <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">De de usko </span>(Kill him). <br /><br />And then there are other words like <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Pila </span>(for gold), <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Barf </span>(for silver) and ''patient'' (for victim). If a rookie in underworld says, <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Patient ko hospital mein rakna hain</span>, this means that a businessman (victim) has to be kidnapped and confined at some undisclosed location. Seems inspired by the film <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Munnabhai MBBS</span>. <br /><br />Since its inception in the seventies, underworld gangsters have been using a code language to maintain secrecy of their activities. They have a constant fear that the police might get wind of their moves and try to nip them in the bud. <br /><br />A few other words from underworld lingo have found a special place in society. These words seem to influence the younger generation, the street savvy <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">taporis </span>and find a place in some of the Hindi phillums. <br /><br />For example, any good looking girl would be referred to as an ''Item''. If anyone tries to ''act smart'' (also known as <span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Aasmani Kabutar</span>), the gangster might take him to a corner (<span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Kopche mein</span>) and give him a good bashing (<span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">Kharcha paani</span>). <br /><br />And nonetheless, any shootout is impossible unless the don (<span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">bhai</span>) has given a contract (<span style="" font-style:="" italic;''="">supari</span>) to his henchmen.</div> </div>

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