Dawood wanted to surrender, but CBI backed out : Former CBI officer

Kumar, who led the probe in 1993 Mumbai blasts and later became the Delhi Police Commissioner,  has written in a book that  he spoke to Dawood thrice in June 1994 and the don was contemplating to surrender.

But the CBI was unwilling to assure  Dawood's security and so, was not ready to accept his offer to surrender, he said.

However, Kumar's version met with a rebuttal from Vijay Rama Rao, former CBI chief, who said Dawood made no such offer.

"We have made huge efforts to arrest him and at no stage such offer came to my knowledge. If such offer would have came, the Government of India and CBI would not have left it. During my entire tenure, I have tried a lot to catch him and I have never stopped senior officer to take any action in this regard," media reports quoted him as saying.

Dawood Ibrahim, one of the most notorious gangsters in India was the mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai blasts in which 257 people were killed and more than 700 injured.

After the incident, Dawood along with some of his top associates fled India to take refuge in other countries. He was identified as one of the most wanted terrorists and the Interpol issued a red corner notice in his name.

According to Indian intelligence reports, Dawood at present is living in Pakistan with a strong support from the ISI.