Sheela Bhatt On Dawood Ibrahim: Crime Beat’s senior reporter Sheela Bhatt has told the whole story of the interview of most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. He told in an interview to news agency ANI that he had received a call from Dawood Ibrahim in the year 1981-82. During this time he was not a terrorist but only a criminal.
Sheela Bhatt says, “There was a children’s remand room in Mohammad Ali Road which was run by the police. It was also called Jail Road. Here the Afghan and Pathan people of Karim Lala gang used to tease the girls here. In such a situation, there used to be a fight between Dawood and Pathan. He called me to tell about this problem.”
Sheela Bhatt said, "Dawood Ibrahim called me near Jail Road to meet him. From here me and my husband were taken by car. When we reached, Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel were sitting. We had gone here to know Dawood. All he had to say was that Karim Lala is a bad man. I had only mentioned this in a story."
What did Dawood Ibrahim say in Gujarat?
Sheela Bhatt adds, " I used to go to Gujarat and do ground reporting. During this, I met Prabodh Rawal, the then Home Minister here and seeking his help, I sought permission to go to Baroda Jail. I was given permission. In such a situation, when he reached the jail, he saw that Dawood Ibrahim was playing football. During this he told me that I am not going to leave Alam Jeb. I printed it. Alam Zeb died a few days later. The Mumbai Crime Branch made me a witness in this case."
What did Dawood Ibrahim say in the interview?
Sheela Bhatt said, "Dawood made the biggest mistake by leaving the country. He had gone to Dubai. During this, a story came in Bombay Times that he is smuggling drugs from here to India. I called Ibrahim in 1988 after the matter of drug smuggling came up. I reached Dubai. I hired a photographer in Dubai with the help of a friend here. After this I went to Pearl Building but the photographer came to know that I had come to interview Dawood Ibrahim, so he ran away. Gave me the camera, but on the first day he did not give the interview."
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— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023
Bhatt said, "I came back the next day. During this, he refused to interview even in the presence of Abdullah, who was handling Dawood’s drug business in India, but during the conversation, Dawood told that he had committed three murders. I killed Alam Jeb as well. He saw the diary with me. I was interviewed by Dawood on the third day, but my diary for the second day was stolen at the Mumbai airport. I thought Dawood was scared."
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