Indo-US agreement heat on Mumbai blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim

Washington, Oct 1: Dawood Ibrahim, the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai blasts, and his financial network are now for the first time the target of India and the United States following their agreement to dismantle safe havens for terrorists and criminal networks, including those of the D-company.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama have committed themselves to joint and concerted efforts to disrupt all financial and tactical support to Al Qaida, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Haqqani network and the D-company, a reference to the network of Dawood believed to be living in Pakistan under official patronage.

At India's suggestion the D-company was included in the list of terrorist and criminal networks in the joint statement issued by the two leaders at the conclusion of their talks at the White House last night.

Indian officials explained later that the idea was to dry up the financial network of the Mumbai underworld don, who fled India after the blasts in which more than 250 people died.

The tactical support committed by the US would help in keeping a track of his movements and activities which could eventually lead to getting him to India to face trial.

PTI