After Rajan, is Dawood next? Doubtful says former R&AW officer

New Delhi, Oct 27: Is the arrest of Chhota Rajan a signal to Dawood Ibrahim? His arrest at Indonesia has sparked off this debate whether the Indian government will bring Dawood Ibrahim to India next?

There are many versions that are doing the rounds among the Intelligence circles about the manner in which Rajan was arrested.

Was it a negotiated surrender or did his time run out? V Balachandran, former officer with the Research and Analysis Wing discussed in detail with OneIndia the Rajan case and the way ahead now.

Rajan's safety is of utmost concern:
The real danger where Rajan is concerned today is with regard to his security. His transit to Mumbai will have to be heavily guarded as he has many enemies. I do not trust the armed policemen much as some of them are a frustrated lot and they try and earn a quick buck.

The Dawood Ibrahim gang has very long hands which can reach the jails and even the courts. That danger to Rajan's life is always there and one must remember he is no longer young or healthy. The Dawood gang is on the look out for him and the statements issued by Chhota Shakeel is an indication of the same. Hence the security of Rajan will be of utmost concern.

I feel that Rajan's cover could have been blown by some of his enemies. In the USA when there are such cases, criminals are given a different identity and whisked away for their own safety. In India the jail system is so horribly corrupt and the escort system is completely tampered with.

Will India bring Dawood back?

Bringing back Dawood is very difficult but not impossible. We had a golden chance to nab him in December 1994 with the help of the South Africans, but the government of the day was too shaky on the issue and felt that his arrest may open up a can of worms.

Right now nabbing Dawood is difficult but not impossible as the man is far too dug up. He has strong contacts in various countries through which he has ensured his safety. I feel that Rajan does not have any information on Dawood at the moment. He was just surviving since the past year or so.

Will Rajan be brought back to India?

Yes he will. There is no doubt about that and even if we do not have a pact with Indonesia, it should not matter. There are many other ways of getting him to India. An extradition will delay the entire process. If a country decides to extradite a criminal then he has the right to go to court and seek a stay and this process could take up to years.

On the other hand if a host country declares him as an undesirable alien, then he will be put on a plane and deported to India. That would be the easier thing to do in this case as extradition can be time consuming.

I would like to add that bringing Rajan to India will not change anything much. He is a spent force today. Only his rivals who have been nurturing enmity with him will be happy to see him behind bars.

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