Dawood Ibrahim 'poisoning': Why the speculation makes no sense

Speculation, so called reports, and rumours about a suspected poisoning of underworld don and absconding terrorist Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar took social media platforms by storm on Monday, making headlines on almost every mainstream media outlet as well. While the news is still unconfirmed, there are many loopholes in the rumoured development that do not fit.

The first day of the week began with the major news development referring to a rumour that underworld don Dawood, allegedly residing in Pakistan's Karachi, was poisoned by an "unknown man" and shifted to a hospital in critical condition.

The news, based on a rumour from an unknown source or sources, further claimed that the 67-year-old has been living in Karachi with his second wife along with his three daughters and a son under tight security and away from the public glare.

It also claimed that the hospital where Dawood has been taken was placed under tight security. While all these rumoured claims are yet to be confirmed by a reliable source in Pakistan, the news itself does not seem to have been thoughtfully drafted.

First, Pakistan has officially always denied Indian claims that Dawood lives in Karachi or any other part of the country and therefore, would not confirm the rumour even if we take it to be true for the sake of argument.

And even if taken at face value, the claim that Dawood has been poisoned by an unknown man seems too fanciful to even be considered. Reliable sources have said that it is almost impossible for any unknown person to have access to Dawood, surrounded as he is by his most trusted people, family members, close aides and security, who ensure that he is kept safe.

“It is almost impossible for any person to have such access to Dawood Ibrahim. As I understand, he would be surrounded by his trusted security and aides. And even if he may be in Karachi or anywhere else, keeping him safe would remain the topmost priority of his people. So reports about him being poisoned by an unknown man do not fit at all," said one of the sources.

Dawood Ibrahim is an elderly man now. At the age of 67, it has been reported that he has medical issues and maintains his health through various medications. It is highly likely that he may have gotten sick owing to the same medial issues, if only one part of the rumour is to be believed.

The bit about Dawood living in Karachi is what India claims, referring to confirmations by his family members and their statements to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). In January 2023, it was reported that Dawood’s nephew had confirmed to NIA that he had remarried in Pakistan and was living with his family in Karachi.

“Dawood Ibrahim has a second wife. Her name is Maizabin. He has three daughters Marukh, Mehrin and Mariya, and one son Mohin Nawaz," Alishah Parkar, son of Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar, had said in a statement given to NIA in November 2022.

India claims that Dawood has been living in Pakistan for decades now, adding that Pakistani authorities have provided proper protection and hidden shelter to Dawood, while officially denying his presence in the country.

Considered the most wanted terrorist in India, he is accused of being involved in multiple crimes and acts of terror in Mumbai and elsewhere, and is widely seen as a 'political trophy'.

The major cases for which India wants him include the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts — ranked as the worst-ever terror strike in India — which claimed 267 lives, much higher than the 166 killed in the terror attacks of 26 November 2008 which hit the country's commercial capital.