Mumbai, Oct 26: A former top Mumbai police official has said that he sees no possibility of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim returning to India as he is in “captive custody of Pakistan’s ISI.” The gangster is the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case that killed nearly 257 people, seriously injured 713 and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.
“I am not saying we should forget his crimes but forget that Dawood would ever return to India. Pakistan will not permit it in any case. They will kill him if he attempts to do so. Dawood is in the captive custody of ISI,” former Mumbai police commissioner MN Singh said.
He was speaking at an event here organised by Aaj Tak TV channel.
The earlier “fear factor” of Dawood over Mumbai city and the metropolitan region has gone down, Singh said. “We must understand that these gangs get a lot of support from local politicians and police,” he said.
“I sadly admit that when I was investigating the Mumbai blasts case, I had found two police officials guilty of having nexus with such gangs. I dismissed them and it was an unfortunate thing,” the former top cop said.
In the 1993 serial blasts case probe, Singh had headed the special investigation team (SIT) as joint commissioner of Mumbai (crime branch).
At the event, the police commissioner of neighbouring Thane district, Param Bir Singh, said, “In the case that I am investigating involving Dawood’s brother (Iqbal Kaskar), I suspect some connection with the local civic corporators of Thane.”
Kaskar was last month arrested in connection for extortion following a complaint by builder against him. PTI