Don keen to return to India, but union govt should act like in Abu Salem case, says lawyer
Almost after five years, the news that Dawood Ibrahim is willing to return to India broke out one more time, when well-known criminal lawyer Shyam Keswani said the Don -- Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar -- is reportedly ‘keen to return to India’, but with certain preconditions which are not acceptable to the Indian government and were rejected even in the past.
Advocate Shyam Keswani was representing Dawood's brother Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar in an extortion case filed by the local police. After Iqbal’s hearing, advocate Keswani spoke to media persons outside the Thane court and said that, years ago Dawood was keen on returning to Mumbai. One of the conditions that he had stipulated was that he should be lodged only in the highly-secure Arthur Road Jail.
Keswani further said, when the court asked the accused Iqbal Kaskar were Dawood is. His brother said, “Dawood may be somewhere and I have no contact with him, Dawood had also conveyed his intentions through (former union minister and eminent lawyer) Ram Jethmalani a few years ago, but the Indian government has not entertained any of his pre-conditions to return. “
“As a citizen of India I can only say, that when Indian government brought Abu Salem from Portugal on contract then why government cannot bring Dawood on condition,” Keswani added.
Interestingly, Keswani’s statement on Dawood’s desire to return came more than six months after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray had made a similar revelation in September last year. Thackeray had claimed that not only was Dawood keen to come back, but he was reportedly negotiating a ‘settlement’ with the NDA government at the center led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a related development, Iqbal was sent to police custody for five days till Friday by a Special Court in a land-grab and extortion case filed against him by the Thane Anti-Extortion Cell.
At least two others wanted in this case – Bhavar Kothar and Bharat Jain are still absconding, and the police are on the lookout for them, said AEC chief Pradeep Sharma.
On that occasion, Dawood told Ram Jethmalani very clearly, “You can talk to the Indian government. I am ready to come back. Regardless of where I am, I will come to Mumbai.' They will arrest me, but I have a condition. Keep me at Arthur Road Jail. You can run any case against me.”