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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
The January 22 attack on the United States Information Service centre in Kolkata has led Indian intelligence officials to speculate that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence directorate is trying to replace fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim with an equally sinister figure.
Ibrahim is one of the 20 criminals whose extradition the Indian government has sought from Pakistan.
Three entities claimed responsibility for the attack -- the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami, which has links with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed; a group called the Asif Raza Commandos and Dubai-based gangster Farhan Malik alias Aftab Ansari.
The Asif Raza group claimed it carried out the attack to avenge the killing of its leader Asif Raza Khan in an encounter with the police in Rajkot, Gujarat, two months ago.
A senior intelligence official said Malik's claim made Indian intelligence agencies wonder if the attack was meant to divert attention from the Karachi-based Ibrahim. India sought Ibrahim's extradition in connection with the March 12, 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
The Kolkata police has asked CBI Director P C Sharma to seek Malik's extradition from Dubai. The CBI has passed on information about Malik to the Dubai police and sought his arrest. An Interpol look out notice for the gangster is likely to be issued shortly, sources said.
Intelligence officials believe if Malik's claim is correct, then it is possible the ISI is trying to prop him up in Ibrahim's place. "Dawood has become a liability for the ISI and is likely to be dumped soon," a senior Intelligence Bureau official told rediff.com
RELATED REPORT: India to seek Ansari's extradition
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