Dawood offered to surrender, but feared threat to life, says Ram Jethmalani

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani on Saturday claimed that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim had offered to surrender to the Indian authorities in the 90s, but the then Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar did not carry the matter forward.

"Dawood said that he was ready to come back, but needed assurance from the government that they will not use third degree... and will keep him under house arrest. He said that he was ready to face the punishment if he was wrong," Jethmalani told ANI.

The advocate said that Dawood had 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,

"When he said this, I sent this in writing to Sharad Pawar... I told my son to inform about this offer to the local authorities," he added.

Jethmalani further hinted that the former Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime may have also decided not to pursue the matter.

"Whether it was Sharad Pawar or the Congress, we do not know. This decision could not have been taken by Sharad Pawar alone, the Centre must have had a say in this," he said.

Jethmalani comments came after a Dawood's close aide Chotta Shakeel told The Times of India in an interview published on Saturday that the government has turned down their proposal to return to the country. The report said Shakeel had contacted Jethmalani, however, the lawyer claimed that he had spoken to Dawood.  

With inputs from ANI

Image: Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim