New Delhi: Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani on Saturday confirmed that he spoke to underworld don and one of India's most wanted terrorists Dawood Ibrahim in the 90s and he offered to return and was ready to face the trial.
Jethmalani said Dawood told him that he was not involved in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and was willing to return to India to face trial but feared threat to his life. Jethmalani added that he informed then Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar about Dawood's willingness to return.
"I had a talk with Dawood Ibrahim himself. Dawood had said that he was not involved in any blast as was being said and that if he was given an assurance that he would not ill-treated, he was ready to come to India and face the trial. I had in fact written to Sharad Pawar also," said Jethmalani.
Jethmalani's remarks came after Dawood's close-aide Chhota Shakeel told the Times of India that the government turned down Dawood's proposal to return.
Shakeel said, "When we wanted to come back after 1993 Mumbai blasts, you people, your government didn't allow. Bhai had himself spoken that time to Ram Jethmalani, that too in London. But your ministry... that Advani played the game."
Chhota Shakeel also mocked Indian authorities for making declarations of working on bringing Dawood and his aides back to make them face the law.
The Bharatiya Janata Party was quick to hit out at the Congress for not taking any action during their regime. "Ram Jethmalani clearly said that he gave information in writing, despite that Congress didn't take any initiative. Congress and NCP should say why action was not taken at that time," said BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao.
The CBI had alleged that Dawood Ibrahim conspired with ISI to carry out serial blasts in Mumbai in March 1993 in which 257 people were killed and property worth Rs 32 crore damaged.
Comments
0 comment