We will bring back Dawood, have faith in us: CBI Director

CBI Director Anil Sinha, while speaking at “Agenda Aaj Tak” Conclaveon Friday, said the agency along with other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) was trying to bring back India’s most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim back to India. He also denied certain media reports that the arrest of underworld don Chhota Rajan was a “surrender”.

“We are trying hard to bring back Dawood…just wait and watch. We are working with various international agencies like Interpol and other nations (to make Dawood’s arrest possible), just have faith in us. There should no doubt about Dawood’s imminent arrest,” Mr. Sinha said without giving further details as it could compromise “operation Dawood”. He however refused to give any timeframe regarding Dawood’ arrest.

The CBI Director said there were several countries that were cooperating with India in helping arrests of India’s fugitives. Without naming Pakistan, Mr. Sinha said arrest of a fugitive depended on the country from where he was operating. He refused to disclose names of nations and global agencies that were cooperating in CBI’s “operation Dawood”.

Stating that arrest of Chhota Rajan was a result of cooperation of various nations and its agencies, Mr. Sinha said it was wrong to suggest that Chhota Rajann “surrendered”. “It was a clean operation where we first located him and then arrested him,” he added.

Asked about “political interference” that CBI faces, Mr. Sinha said during his one-year tenure he has never got any call or approached by anyone. “CBI is not a (political) tool and never will be…Our focus is on how to check crime and corruption cases. We want to do foolproof investigations that stands in a court of law. We give full autonomy to our officers so that a case can be brought to its logical conclusion,” he added.

Mr. Sinha stressed the need for change in laws to deal with new-age crimes line cyber and economic crimes and money laundering. “We need strong

national laws where CBI can act swiftly…To face future challenges we need built a strong legal instruments,” he said, and added that the premier investigating agency was taking various measures to enhance its capabilities that include setting up a centre for excellence and international cooperation with other top agencies.

The CBI Director said the agency stood by its investigation in the high-profile Aarushi Talwar case and asserted that Sheena Bora case investigation was going on the right track. On raids at Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s residence during his daughter’s wedding date, he said CBI had no information about the wedding as it was a strictly private function where no one was invited. “We are not in the business of snooping and hence had no idea about the wedding, our raid was as per legal requirements of the case,” he added.