NEW DELH, India, Dec 18: In a significant development, the alleged mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai blasts, Dawood Ibrahim, has been hospitalized in Karachi, Pakistan, according to reports from TV sources. It is claimed that he has fallen victim to poisoning.

Quoting undisclosed sources, reports indicate that Dawood is currently under strict security measures within the confines of the hospital. Despite longstanding assertions that Dawood has been residing in Pakistan for several decades, the neighboring country continues to deny such allegations.

Earlier in January 2023, Dawood's nephew informed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that the fugitive figure had remarried in Pakistan and was living with his family in Karachi. The 1993 Mumbai bombings orchestrated by Dawood resulted in the tragic loss of over 250 lives and left thousands injured.

According to the NIA, Dawood operates an international terrorist network known as D Company, collaborating with key figures such as Anees, Chhota Shakeel, Javed Chikna, Tiger Memon, and others. The syndicate, as per the NIA, is implicated in a range of criminal activities, including arms smuggling, narco-terrorism, money laundering, circulation of fake Indian currency notes (FICN), unauthorized possession of key assets for raising terror funds, and active collaboration with organizations like LeT, Jaish, and Al Qaeda.

In 2022, the NIA registered a case against Dawood Ibrahim and other members of the D-Company, offering a Rs 25 lakh cash reward for information leading to his arrest. Additionally, cash rewards of Rs 20 lakh for Chhota Shakeel and Rs 15 lakh each for Haji Anees, Javed Chikna, and Tiger Memon were announced by the NIA.

Dawood Ibrahim holds the designation of a 'global terrorist' by the United Nations under UNSC Resolution 1267 and is listed as an 'individual terrorist' under the Fourth Schedule of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967. The situation surrounding his hospitalization is rapidly evolving, and further updates are anticipated.