Super sleuth, who interrogated Dawood Ibrahim, says don confessed to crime

The super sleuth who interrogated India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim has finally penned a book revealing the don was an ordinary looking coward person, who confessed that he was involved in (organised) crime.

Former Director General of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, B.V. Kumar, also known as the super sleuth of Indian customs, has revealed in his new book 'DRI and the Dons' that initial whereabouts of Dawood Ibrahim was disclosed to him by one Rasheed Arba, an alleged underworld figure married to the sister of famous Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar.

Speaking with the IANS, B.V. Kumar said that purpose of writing the book on underworld dons, particularly on Dawood Ibrahim and Haji Mastan, was to showcase DRI's matchless contribution in initiating tough action against most dreaded underworld syndicates of South Asia.

"We were the key agency  to detain and interrogate Dawood Ibrahim and book him under COFEPOSA. When I got Dawood detained (in July 1983), a petition came up in the High Court of Gujarat for an immediate hearing. On don's behalf, Ram Jethmalani had appeared to get Dawood released from detention," Kumar said.

Dawood Ibrahim, who later jumped bail and escaped to Dubai is still wanted by the DRI under the COFEPOSA case registered by B.V. Kumar.

Kumar is one among a few Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers who led DRI as well as Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and had a wonderful career in which he crushed the notorious underworld syndicates of Mumbai.

Remembering his encounter with Dawood, Kumar said that he was posted as Customs Commissioner in Ahmedabad in the mid-eighties. During that period a bloody gangland shootout between Dawood Ibrahim and Karim Lala gang had created a scare in the society, affecting peace in  Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Kumar writes in his book that one day while returning from Porbandar to Mumbai by car, Dawood was accidentally hit by a bullet fired by his aide, sitting in the rear  seat of the vehicle. The shot was actually aimed at Alamzeb, D-company's gang rival owing allegiance to Karim Lala.

In his book, the former IRS officer reveals that the  bullet had hit Dawood in the neck, but the injury was minor. The don was taken to Baroda's Sayaji Hospital. "I was informed about the incident and I immediately spoke to P.K. Dutta, the then Commissioner of Police, Baroda.

Later during interrogation Dawood admitted that he was doing 'number do ka dhandha' (involved in illegal activities). He was talking to me in Hindi. I found him as an ordinary person who looked calm. The interrogation continued for half an hour at Dutta's office. I then returned to Ahmedabad and obtained a detention warrant against Dawood under COFEPOSA," said Kumar.

When asked how Dawood managed to become one of the most dangerous underworld dons in Asia, Kumar said that lack of political will seems to be the biggest reason for this.

"Dawood used his money power to lure everyone. From Bollywood stars to cricketers and maybe some big politicians. But I am of the view that once India signed extradition treaty with the UAE, the underworld lord was compelled to leave Dubai and take a permanent refuge in Pakistan.

He is no more as influential as he was in the UAE "where he was rubbing shoulders with celebrities," he said.

Kumar said he presumes Dawood is not well these days and might remain in Pakistan till everything is over for the fugitive.