INDIA VOWS TO BRING UNDERWORLD DON DAWOOD TO JUSTICE

P.Vijian

NEW DELHI, June 20 (Bernama) -- India Monday vowed to bring back its top
terror mastermind Dawood Ibrahim, believed hiding in Pakistan, to face charges
on Indian soil.

Indian-born Dawood, now listed as the second most dangerous fugitive on
Interpol's wanted list, is allegedly involved in a string of heinous crimes,
including aiding the horrific November 2008 Mumbai attack.

"He is one of the persons wanted by India for various crimes, he was the
brains behind crimes committed here.

"We have asked for extradition (from Pakistan) to bring him to face justice
in the country, we will pursue," India's External Affairs Minister S.M Krishnan
said in Delhi.

Krishnan met the media at his residence before departing to Myanmar on a
two-day official visit.


Dawood, leader of the notorious D-Gang, allegedly involved in organised
crimes across the region with links in Southeast Asian and West Asian capitals,
had come under severe pressure after Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden was
eliminated.

Osama was killed by American commandos in his hide-out in Abbattobad in
Pakistan on May 2.

For almost a decade, Dawood and his gang leaders were alleged to have used
Karachi as their safe haven to conduct clandestine operations, but rumour
surfaced that the underworld don had abandoned Pakistan after Osama's death.