It’s practically difficult to catch Dawood; he is in an enemy country: Delhi ex-top cop Neeraj Kumar

New Delhi: Chhota Rajan is a storehouse of information on the underworld and Dawood Ibrahim, but getting hold of Dawood would depend on how much information the Indian agencies extract from Rajan and how much of it is actionable, former top cop of Delhi Neeraj Kumar told Firstpost.

Responding to a query about whether it was possible to bring the 1993 Mumbai blasts accused to India like Rajan, he said in theory, it’s possible to get him back to India, but practically, not quite.

“It’s generally believed that Dawood is in Karachi. He’s in an enemy country, not in Bali or Thailand from where he could easily be nabbed and extradited. Pakistan has given him strong protection and ensured that he doesn’t get into the hands of Indian security agencies,” said the 1976 batch IPS officer_._

In his upcoming tell-all memoir, Dial D for Don, Kumar talks about Dawood, the 11 September, 2001 attacks in the US and about his in-depth investigation into the activities of the underworld. He reveals how a part of funding for the 9/11 attacks had originated from India.

“A part of the ransom money received in the kidnapping of Khadim footwear’s CMD Partha Pratim Roy Burman in Kolkata — around $100,000 (which at the time, was worth Rs 49 lakh), was passed on by the abductor Aftab Ansari to the chief of the 9/11 attackers Mohammad Atta through terrorist Omar Sheikh, who was released by India in exchange for hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814 in 1999,” he said.

The information was obtained from Harkat-ul Mujahideen terrorist Asif Raza Khan, who had revealed that his “boss” Aftab Ansari, who was also responsible for the attack on the American Centre in Kolkata, had shared the ransom money with Omar Sheikh. Ansari is awaiting hanging in a West Bengal jail.

Kumar, who is at present, heading the anti-corruption wing of the BCCI, has also mentioned the unholy nexus between the game of cricket, Dawood and the underworld. The book highlights a call he had received some days prior to his retirement in 2013 from the fugitive don. It came on the heels of an operation he led against spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League tournament. Some cricketers were found involved in it.

The call he had received on his cellphone was apparently from Dawood, who had said “Kya saheb, aap retire hone ja rahe ho, ab toh peecha chhod do (What, Sir? You are about to retire, at least stop chasing us now).”

Kumar, who has also served in the CBI, said: “Some days before my retirement in July 2013, I had received this call and in all probability it was Dawood. It was a one-way communication and before I could reply, the call was disconnected.”

He did not pursue it after he retired. “What’s the use?” he asked.

Dawood’s connection with cricket has already been established.  According to Indian security agencies, Dawood, his wife Mehjabeen Shaikh, son Moeen Nawaz and daughters Mahrukh, Mehreen and Mazia are based in Pakistan with the syndicate chief, currently operating out of upscale Clifton neighbourhood of Karachi. His daughter Mahrukh is married to Junaid, son of former Pakistan cricket captain Javed Miandad.

On whether the global terror outfit Islamic State is in any position to spread its influence on the Indian soil like it did in Paris, Kumar opined, “They may, they may not. As I’m out of government service for over two and a half years, I’m not in touch with the current happenings and with the intelligence agencies. But the threat is always there.”

Kumar strongly refuted the allegation that he had been soft on Dawood in his book. He said he presented only the facts.