New Delhi: The political tickling on the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is in an interesting frame.
Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani on Saturday confirmed that he spoke to underworld don in the 90s and he offered to return and was ready to face the trial.
Jethmalani exclaimed, 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.
Meanwhile Sharad Pawar made his point and said “Ram Jethmalani gave a proposition that’s true, but it was conditional.â€
“Condition was that after Dawood comes to Bombay he won’t be arrested but permitted to stay at home.†Pawar added.
Jethmalani’s remarks came after Dawood’s close-aide Chhota Shakeel told a news organisation 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 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.