M A I N   N E W S

CBI sends Anees’ extradition plea

New Delhi, December 22
Notwithstanding the deportation of underworld don Anees Ibrahim by the Dubai authorities to Pakistan to India’s dismay, the CBI has sent extradition request highlighting the role of Anees as one of the main conspirators of 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

The extradition request, sent by the agency after receiving a formal communication from Abu Dhabi Interpol, said Anees had participated in the meetings held at the “White House”, residence of his brother and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, in Dubai.

The fact that Anees was present in the meetings held in December, 1992, at the White House, Dubai, has been corroborated by several accused arrested by the CBI in connection with Mumbai blasts, said the extradition request pending with the Ministry of External Affairs.

According to highly placed CBI sources, the agency had also mentioned Anees’ involvement in bringing youths to Dubai and later sending them to Karachi for training.

The youths, after being trained in Karachi, were, also received by Anees and later shifted to Mumbai for carrying out the blasts in the metropolis in March, 1993, the sources said quoting the request.

Abu Dhabi Interpol had sent a formal communication to the CBI on December 11 to “process the extradition request for Anees”.

However, two days after this, Anees was granted bail by a Dubai court in a murder case. He was deported to Karachi, which, according to his passport, was his port of embarkation on his arrival in Dubai.

Besides his involvement in the blasts, Anees was also wanted in nearly 70 cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, kidnapping for ransom pending against him in several states.

However, the extradition request as of now was only based on his role in the blasts, the sources said, adding that more cases would be sent to the port city soon.

Anees was arrested in Dubai on December 3 following which the CBI had rushed A.K. Gupta, Deputy Director (Coordination) and in charge of Interpol-CBI relation, to the port city to try for his being brought here.

Anees was detained by the Dubai authorities in 1996 but was later let off for want of evidence. He was again arrested in Bahrain in late 90s but was later shifted to Dubai, from where he was released.

Anees, who figures in the much talked of list of 20 criminals and terrorists handed over to Pakistan for compliance, has a Red Corner warrant also pending against him. PTI