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Abdul Latif (Raees) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 22, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth1951

Age46 (at time of death in November 1997)

BirthplaceKalupur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

ProfessionLiquor smuggler

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

FamilySons - Shaikh Arif Abdul Latif, Mushtaq Sheikh

Abdul Latif (Raees) Biography

Abdul Latif was born in 1951 in the Kalupur neighborhood of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, into a poor Muslim family. He was one of seven children. Details about his parents, formal schooling and higher education are not available in the record.

Early life and background

Abdul Latif was born in 1951 in the Kalupur neighborhood of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, into a poor Muslim family. He was one of seven children. Details about his parents, formal schooling and higher education are not available in the record. As a young man he worked at his father’s shop selling tobacco, but tensions over money and a drive to support himself pushed him to seek other opportunities.

Career

Latif entered the illicit economy in his twenties, initially through association with a bootlegger named Allah Rakha who operated a gambling den. He later struck out on his own as a bootlegger and expanded into a wider range of criminal activities. Over time he built connections with police officers, fellow criminals, smugglers and politicians — ties that helped him grow his operations.

By the mid-1980s Latif’s network had broadened to include kidnapping, extortion and murder, and he is reported to have developed links across the border into Pakistan. In 1985 he allied with Alamzeb, a member of a Mumbai Pathan gang, in a confrontation with a rival named Pappu Khan. Latif ultimately killed Alamzeb and consolidated his position, becoming a dominant underworld figure in Gujarat. At one point he had an adversarial relationship with the Mumbai don Dawood Ibrahim, which later shifted into a friendship.

Latif’s organization was reportedly composed largely of Muslim members. He cultivated a popular image among segments of Ahmedabad’s poor Muslim community by providing assistance to those in need and by recruiting unemployed Muslim youth into his circle. That reputation — part social benefactor, part crime boss — helped him achieve influence beyond the purely criminal sphere: while incarcerated he won five seats in the Ahmedabad municipal elections.

Legal troubles and death

Throughout his life Latif faced extensive legal exposure. Reports indicate he was associated with as many as 97 criminal cases, and his alleged involvement ranged across serious offenses. He was arrested in Delhi in 1995 and detained at Sabarmati Jail. In November 1997, at age 46, he was killed in a police encounter in the Naroda Patiya area of Ahmedabad; authorities said the shooting occurred while he was allegedly attempting to escape.

Public profile

Latif remained a polarizing figure. To many he was a feared gangster implicated in smuggling, murder and kidnapping; to others he was a local benefactor who spent on the poor and helped disadvantaged members of his community. His name was also linked in reports to the 1993 Mumbai bombings, and he was considered a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim in some accounts.

He was known by the nickname 'King of Gujarat' and within criminal circles counted rivals such as Pappu Khan and Hansraj Trivedi. Physically, published details list his height at about 170 cm (5 ft 7 in), weight around 64 kg (141 lb), with black hair and black eyes.

Family and personal life

Latif was married and had at least two sons named Shaikh Arif Abdul Latif and Mushtaq Sheikh. Information about his wife, any daughters, and other personal family details is not documented in the available material. He is described as having spent money on the poor and downtrodden as a pastime, and he reportedly drank alcohol.

Legacy and cultural depiction

Latif’s life inspired a broader cultural portrayal: the 2016 film Raees, directed by Rahul Dholakia, drew on aspects of his life and featured a fictionalized lead character played by Shah Rukh Khan. That cinematic depiction contributed to renewed public interest in the story of an individual who combined criminal notoriety with local social influence.

Latest updates

The most recent items in the available record note the 2016 film inspired by his life and reiterate the circumstances of his 1997 death in a police encounter. There are no further documented developments in the record provided.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is prepared from the public references listed below and reviewed for clarity. If you spot an outdated detail about Abdul Latif (Raees), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

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Recent Work

Raees (film)

2016 film directed by Rahul Dholakia inspired by aspects of Abdul Latif’s life; the lead role was played by Shah Rukh Khan.

2016
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Career Highlights

  1. Rose from a bootlegging beginning to become a dominant underworld figure in Gujarat
  2. Built extensive criminal and political connections and was linked to numerous serious crimes
  3. Cultivated a Robin Hood–style reputation among parts of Ahmedabad’s poor Muslim community
  4. Won five municipal seats while incarcerated
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Abdul Latif (Raees) born?

Abdul Latif (Raees) was born on 1951.

What is Abdul Latif (Raees) known for?

Abdul Latif (Raees) is known for liquor smuggler.

What is Abdul Latif (Raees)’s marital status?

Abdul Latif (Raees)'s marital status is listed as Married.