Pakistan 'pressuring Thailand not to hand Dawood aide back to India'



Pakistan has been exerting pressure on the government of Thailand not to hand over a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim to India, claiming that he is a Pakistani.



It's been over a year since India gave substantial evidence to the Thai government to prove the Indian citizenship of Mudassar Husain Sayeed, alias Munna Jhingada, but Pakistan's constant claim of him being a Pakistani has made his deportation to India a tough task.



Sources say with Pakistan seeking his extradition, India has provided fresh evidence to Thailand to ensure he is not handed over to Pakistan.

Munna Jhingada had attacked Dawood Ibrahim (left)'s former aide Chhota Rajan (right) in 2001

A team from India visited Thailand in January and provided a detailed dossier of Jhingada's crime records in India.

Among the details that have been given include his entire profile as a criminal - how he entered the world of crime in 1990 and soon got close to Dawood's right-hand man, Chhota Shakeel.



He was arrested in 1997 but by then, he had become an important member of the D-gang. As he got bail in 1999, he managed to escape to Karachi in Pakistan, where he worked closely with Dawood.

Earlier the CBI, which represents Interpol in India, had handed over evidence that included Jhingada's birth certificate, details of his school and family in Mumbai.

This was after Pakistan submitted a fake Pakistani passport for Jhingada, identifying him as Mohammed Salim.



Jhingada has served a sentence in Thailand for attacking underworld don Chhota Rajan in Bangkok in 2001.



Sources say Pakistan's interest in Jhingada is immense since he was closely associated with Dawood, who is in Pakistan.



"Details of Dawood's activities in Pakistan can be established through him. He was involved in handling of Dawood's interests in India before he fled the country in 1999," an officer said.



Jhingada could be crucial in establishing Dawood's presence in Pakistan.



