Govt goofs up on Dawood location
The government shot itself in the foot on Tuesday by saying in Parliament it was not aware of the location of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, the prime accused in the bloody Mumbai serial blasts of 1993.
Minister of state for home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary gave the written reply that is at variance with India’s consistent stand since the terror attack that Dawood is living in Pakistan’s Karachi under the patronage of its intelligence agency, the ISI.
“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, responding to a question from BJP MP Nityanand Rai.
Under attack from the Opposition over the statement, Chaudhary’s colleague in the home ministry, Kiren Rijiju, attempted to contain the damage.
“He (Dawood) is in Pakistan. The Indian government has been providing info about his whereabouts to Pakistan,” Rijiju said. “Do not misconstrue the intention of the government. The case is being pursued very seriously, there are no lapses. Pakistani agencies are not cooperating with India. It is well known to everybody.”
However, the Congress refused to back down. “It is almost as if the Indian government’s reply is the same that the ISI would have given had they been asked the same question. The ISI must be thankful about it,” party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi told the media.
Gogoi, however, appeared to have jumped the gun without checking facts. It turns out the home ministry reply was a cut and paste job by bureaucrats from two years ago.
Asked about the extradition of Dawood Ibrahim by a lawmaker, junior minister in the UPA’s home department, Mullapally Ramachandran, had given the same answer on May 7, 2013.
A home ministry official said the reply should have been better drafted. “It was an avoidable controversy,” he added.
The incident comes days after former CBI DIG Neeraj Kumar told HT that a close aide of Dawood had said the terrorist wanted to come back to India in 1994, a year after the Mumbai blasts that killed 257 people.
The mafia kingpin has been listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US and has an Interpol Red Corner Notice against his name.
A home ministry official said if required, the gover nment would clarify its position in Parliament on Wednesday and send a formal intimation to the Lok Sabha to remedy the response. Chaudhary met home secretary LC Goyal in the evening to discuss strategy.
In all bilateral meetings with Pakistan since 1993, India has sought Dawood from its neighbour.
Even home minister Rajnath Singh said in December that Dawood is India’s most- wanted terrorist and New Delhi has repeatedly asked Pakistan to hand him over.
THE INCIDENT COMES DAYS AFTER FORMER CBI DIG NEERAJ KUMAR TOLD HT THAT A CLOSE AIDE OF DAWOOD HAD SAID THE TERRORIST WANTED TO COME BACK TO INDIA IN 1994, A YEAR AFTER THE MUMBAI BLASTS