Cops say Dawood still alive, call death reports rumours'

Mumbai: While unverified news reports have been claiming since late Friday that India’s most wanted criminal Dawood Ibrahim is in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack, the police here in Mumbai has claimed this is nothing but rumours.

A report published by a news agency situated in Pakistan stated that the underworld don suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Karachi’s Aga Khan Hospital. Some reports also claimed that Dawood’s condition had been critical, and that he had died.

A senior police official of Mumbai said, “I also heard through some WhatsApp messages and still it’s not confirmed. I have just read an article that quoted (gangster) Chota Shakeel saying that Dawood is fine. So I am not sure about his death, may be they’re rumours.”

When this newspaper contacted different investigative agencies asking for confirmation about the reports about Dawood’s health, all of them rubbished reports about his death and said they are rumours.

Dawood, said to be 61 years old, was originally a resident of Mumbai’s Pakmodia street. He is known for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that left 257 people dead and close to 800 injured. It is believed that Dawood currently resides in Pakistan.

Last year, some news reports stated that the underworld don was suffering from gangrene and that there was ineffective blood supply to his legs as a result of high BP and blood sugar.

Dawood was then said to be undergoing treatment at Karachi’s Liaquat National Hospital and Combined Military Hospital. His health was said to be deteriorating by the day, because of which there was a chance that both his legs may have to be amputated to save his life.