Indian security and intelligence agencies have been chasing underworld don and the country’s enemy No 1 Dawood Ibrahim after the 1993 Mumbai blasts. The initial information gathering process about his various activities was initiated by former Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau Maloy krishna Dhar.
What former Home Secretary and now BJP member R K Singh said recently about a covert operation to eliminate Dawood is correct. Ajit Doval, former Intelligence Bureau Director and the current National Security Adviser, had full information of his whereabouts and movements. But the covert plan did not work as allegedly somebody from the Mumbai Police leaked the information. (Read here for more info)
After that failed attempt, the thinking in India changed. The political establishment thought bringing Dawood back would be more advantageous politically then eliminating him. The United States administration had already conveyed to India that since Dawood was not a threat to them or the larger global community, they were least concerned about him. According to them it was an issue that India had to sort out with Pakistan and they had no role in it.
In 2013, there was some movement in bringing the underworld don back to India. Intelligence sources confirmed to Canary Trap in October 2013 that negotiations to bring the underworld don were at an advanced stage but two conditions put forth by Dawood have caused a delay in finalizing the deal. (Read more about conditions put forth by Dawood)
Also, its an open secret among security and intelligence agencies around the world that Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan. According to intelligence sources, Dawood is not much of a threat now as he was in the past. Most of his network in India is finished. He is still a big name in betting business, not just in India but globally. Dawood is more of a business don than underworld don now, with interests mainly in drugs, betting, and real estate.
So for Pakistan to hand him over to India and claim they are serious about addressing the issue of terror made sense. One of the hurdles that came in between was the military establishment in Pakistan. While the political establishment in Pakistan thinks Dawood should be handed over as he has served his purpose and is of no use anymore, the military establishment wants to keep him in Pakistan and use him at a later stage for negotiations with India.
Dawood’s latest photo, phone bills and passport details were leaked just before the NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan with the purpose of putting the latter on the back-foot and use the media to make this an issue. But the fact remains that Dawood Ibrahim staying in Pakistan is an open secret and Indian intelligence agencies who tried to bump him off in mid-2000 and bring him back in 2013 are aware of all his activities and movements since a very long time.
