Dawood was willing to surrender, Maha govt turned it down: Jethmalani

Mumbai, July 4

Senior advocate Ram Jethlamani has claimed that gangster Dawood Ibraham had spoken to him about his willingness to return to India and face trial in the 90s but Sharad-Pawar’s government in Maharashtra turned it down.

Jethmalani said Dawood had claimed he was not involved in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai but he was willing to face trail, but only if he was assured of not being harmed or tortured by authorities.

“I wrote to Sharad Pawar, then Maharashtra Chief Minister, of the offer, I also told my son (senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani) to talk to the local authorities that the man they have so far been unable to get hold of would willingly come. Sometime later, however, I got a reply to my letter: it said they would not be able to honour the terms. I don’t think this decision could be taken by Pawar alone: it must have been a collective decision,” he said.   

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar confirmed he received a request, but said he rejected it because the terms were unacceptable to the state government.

"It is true that Ram Jethmalani had given a proposal about Dawood's willingness to return. But there was a condition that Dawood should not be kept in jail but be allowed to remain in a house. This was not acceptable. We said he had to face the law," Pawar told reporters here. — PTI