Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani on Saturday claimed that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim had offered to surrender to the Indian authorities in the 90s, but the then Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar did not carry the matter forward.
"Dawood said that he was ready to come back, but needed assurance from the government that they will not use third degree... and will keep him under house arrest. He said that he was ready to face the punishment if he was wrong," Jethmalani told ANI.
"When he said this, I sent this in writing to Sharad Pawar... I told my son to inform about this offer to the local authorities," he added.
Jethmalani further hinted that the former Congress-led UPA regime may have also decided not to pursue the matter.
"Whether it was Sharad Pawar or the Congress, we do not know. This decision could not have been taken by Sharad Pawar alone, the Centre must have had a say in this," he said.
