The government on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that it is unaware of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s location.
Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in his reply to MP Nityanand Rai said that government cannot initiate extradition proceedings since Dawood’s hiding spot is still not known to them.
Chaudhary said Dawood is an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and a red corner notice has been issued against him.
“The United Nations Security Council has also issued a special notice against him. The subject has not been located so far. Extradition process with regard to Dawood Ibrahim would be initiated once the subject is located,” he said in reply to a written question.
Dawood, accused of masterminding the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and a number of other terrorist acts in the country, is India’s most wanted fugitive. He is believed to be staying in Pakistan. India has sought his extradition but attempts to bring him back to India did not fructify due to Pakistan’s non-cooperation.
Modi government is putting in all possible effort to arrest the fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had claimed last year.
In October last year, Sources said he had been moved to Pak-Afghan border by ISI.
The move came after joint efforts by Indian and US security agencies had tightened its claws to nab the underworld don who has been in hiding over two decades.
Dawood was earlier residing in Clifton area of Karachi. Shifting of base in October wasn’t for the first time. He has been in the past moved to secure locations whenever ISI gets an indication of a security threat against him.
Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar in an interview to a national daily last week, was quoted as saying Dawood, labelled by the US as ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’, had got in touch with him and wanted to surrender, but the plan was shelved by the government.
