Five Cases That Prove Why Dawood Ibrahim Is India’s Most Wanted Criminal

Dawood Ibrahim is also featured on the Interpol’s red notice list, and has a bounty of US$25 million on his head. He is said to have close ties with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

New Delhi: Dawood Ibrahim, the notorious underworld don and terrorist, has been on India’s most wanted list for decades. Dawood is one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, and is designated as a global terrorist by India and the United States. He is also featured on the Interpol’s red notice list, and has a bounty of US$25 million on his head. He is said to have close ties with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. He is also said to have multiple aliases and fake passports, and to frequently change his location and appearance. He is believed to be living in Karachi, Pakistan, under the alias of Sheikh Dawood Hassan.

He is accused of masterminding several heinous crimes, such as the 1993 Mumbai blasts, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast, and the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. He is also involved in international drug trafficking, counterfeiting, and weapons smuggling. Here are five cases that prove why Dawood Ibrahim is India’s most wanted criminal:

1993 Mumbai Blasts

Dawood Ibrahim is the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, which killed 257 people and injured over 700. He allegedly planned and executed the blasts with the help of his associates and the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. He also provided the explosives, arms, and training to the perpetrators. The blasts targeted 12 locations in Mumbai, including the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Air India Building, and the Shiv Sena headquarters. Dawood Ibrahim fled to Dubai after the blasts and later moved to Pakistan, where he is believed to be living under the protection of the ISI. India has repeatedly demanded his extradition from Pakistan, but Pakistan has denied his presence in its territory.

2008 Mumbai Attacks

Dawood Ibrahim is also suspected to have a role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people and injured over 300. The attacks were carried out by 10 terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, who arrived in Mumbai by sea and targeted multiple locations, such as the Taj Mahal Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and the Nariman House. According to some reports, Dawood Ibrahim provided logistical and financial support to the attackers, and also helped them escape from Mumbai. He also allegedly used his network of hawala operators and fake currency dealers to fund the attacks.

2010 Pune German Bakery Blast

Dawood Ibrahim is also wanted in connection with the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast, which killed 17 people and injured over 60. The blast occurred at the popular German Bakery in the Koregaon Park area of Pune, which was frequented by foreigners and tourists. The blast was carried out by a bomb planted in a backpack, which was triggered by a mobile phone. The blast was claimed by the Indian Mujahideen, a terror outfit allegedly linked to Dawood Ibrahim and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. According to some sources, Dawood Ibrahim provided the explosives and the mobile phone used in the blast, and also facilitated the escape of the bomber.

2013 IPL Spot-Fixing Scandal

Dawood Ibrahim is also accused of being involved in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, which rocked the Indian cricket world. The scandal involved the fixing of certain aspects of the matches, such as the number of runs scored in an over, by some players of the Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians teams. The players were allegedly in contact with bookies and fixers, who were working for Dawood Ibrahim and his associate Chhota Shakeel. Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel allegedly controlled the betting racket and made huge profits from the illegal gambling. They also allegedly threatened and blackmailed the players and the team owners to cooperate with them. 

Apart from these major cases, Dawood Ibrahim is also wanted in several other cases of murder, extortion, kidnapping, and smuggling. Some of the prominent cases are:

The murder of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011, who was allegedly killed by Dawood Ibrahim’s henchmen for writing about his illegal activities. The murder of music baron Gulshan Kumar in 1997, who was allegedly killed by Dawood Ibrahim’s hitmen for refusing to pay extortion money.

The murder of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan in 2006, who was allegedly killed by Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Pravin Mahajan, who was also his brother. The kidnapping and murder of shoe baron Parikshit Thakkar in 2000, who was allegedly abducted and killed by Dawood Ibrahim’s gang for not paying ransom money.

The smuggling of RDX and arms into India in 1993, which were used in the Mumbai blasts and other terror attacks.