From Editor’s Desk
By Arvind Chaturvedi
Mumbai’s Fort area was bustling as usual. It was around 1:30 in the afternoon. People were busy calculating their gains and losses in the stock market when a powerful explosion rocked the basement of a 29-storey building on Dalal Street.
Smoke spread everywhere. Panic erupted from the top floor to the basement. People began running in all directions to save their lives.
Then came another piece of devastating news.
At 2:55 pm, a powerful bomb exploded in the basement of the Air India Building. The blast shook the 23-storey structure. At 3:05 pm, another explosion took place at Zaveri Bazaar, followed by blasts at the Sea Rock Hotel at 3:10 pm and Plaza Cinema at 3:13 pm.
One explosion followed another.
The 12 blasts shook the entire city of Mumbai. Bodies lay scattered everywhere. Amid the mangled remains, people desperately searched for their loved ones. Their eyes turned numb with grief as they wept.
The man identified as one of the key conspirators behind the carnage was Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, one of India’s most wanted criminals.
Dawood has been identified as one of the principal conspirators behind the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. The United Nations has designated him as a global terrorist.
Along with associates such as Anees Ibrahim Sheikh, Chhota Shakeel, Javed Chikna and Tiger Memon, he is alleged to have operated an international criminal-terror network known as the D-Company.
According to an NIA statement, Dawood has long been involved in terrorism-related criminal activities, including arms trafficking, narcotics-related terrorism, organised underworld crime, money laundering, circulation of foreign currency, unauthorised possession or acquisition of prime properties for raising terror funds, and active collaboration with international terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Al-Qaeda (AQ).
Wanted in India in several cases, Dawood remains a fugitive whose life and whereabouts have been shrouded in mystery, generating speculation and controversy for decades.
From Mumbai’s underworld to an international terror network
Born in 1955, Ibrahim began his journey into Mumbai’s underworld. Along with his brother Shabbir, he established himself in the criminal world.
His gang was once believed to have had as many as 25,000 members. Through a ruthless style of functioning and involvement in smuggling, extortion and targeted killings, Dawood rapidly rose through the ranks of the criminal underworld and became notorious for his brutal methods.
By the late 1980s, Ibrahim had consolidated his position as the undisputed boss of Mumbai’s underworld, wielding enormous power and influence.
The 1993 Mumbai serial blasts
In 1993, the world witnessed the horrific consequences of Ibrahim’s terror network.
A series of bomb blasts ripped through Mumbai, killing more than 250 people and injuring thousands. The conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by the D-Company was attributed to revenge for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
The terrorist attack established Ibrahim as a global security threat. India and the United States subsequently designated him as a terrorist and announced a reward of $25 million for information leading to his capture.
Since then, Ibrahim has largely disappeared from public view.
The mystery over Dawood’s whereabouts
According to various reports, he has been living in Karachi, Pakistan, although Pakistan has officially denied harbouring him.
Indian authorities have repeatedly attempted to secure his arrest through diplomatic channels, intelligence networks and even an Interpol Red Notice.
Yet Dawood Ibrahim remains a fugitive, allegedly enjoying protection in Pakistan.
Dawood Ibrahim’s health
Dawood is reportedly suffering from severe diabetes. He is also said to be battling high blood pressure and serious cardiac problems.
A report by our Consulting Editor further claims that Dawood is suffering severely from gangrene in his legs. Although he is surrounded by loyal associates, his life is reportedly confined to a bed. His eyes remain fixed on the ceiling.
The unanswered questions
The question of Dawood Ibrahim’s impunity continues to resonate deeply in India.
He has come to symbolise the impunity enjoyed by powerful criminals, the limitations of international borders and the challenges involved in confronting transnational terrorism.
His alleged presence in Pakistan has remained a contentious issue in India-Pakistan relations. Despite evidence cited by Indian authorities, Pakistan has consistently denied providing him shelter.
His clandestine empire, allegedly built on corruption, violence and fear, continues to be viewed as a serious threat to regional stability and security.
Dismantling such networks requires sustained international cooperation, stronger intelligence sharing and effective financial action.
The Tehelka investigation
This story published by Tehelka seeks to expose the dark activities of Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar—much of which the world has only heard about.
Now, Tehelka is bringing before the world a tape that has not been seen by the public before. The tape seeks to reveal how Dawood could have ended up behind bars had powerful individuals not allegedly supported and protected him.
Our Deputy Editor M. Riyaz Hashmi, Consulting Editor Sunil Kalra and Raghvendra Dwivedi have jointly investigated Dawood Ibrahim and his network, seeking to answer a crucial question:
What condition is Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar in today, and where does he actually stand in the shadowy world he once dominated?
