Bhatt's courage in interviewing Dawood

Dawood Ibrahim, the infamous underworld figure, is reportedly hospitalized in Karachi, Pakistan, due to a severe health issue, with social media speculation hinting at poisoning. The details remain unconfirmed by his aide, who revealed that Dawood is under high security, occupying an entire hospital floor with restricted access limited to top officials and close family members.

Mumbai Police is seeking information about Dawood’s hospitalization from his relatives Alishah Parkar, Sajid Wagle and journalist Sheela Bhatt.

Sheela Bhatt is associated with Dawood Ibrahim through her fearless and dedicated journalism. Her connection to the Mumbai underworld traces back to a photograph with Karim Lala, a prominent mafia figure, capturing Dawood’s attention.

Sheela Bhatt’s Profile: With a journalism career spanning nearly 44 years, Sheela Bhatt initiated her journey in 1979. Throughout her illustrious career, she contributed to esteemed news platforms such as the Indian Express and Dainik Bhasker. Presently, she writes columns for Gulf News and The Print.

Journalistic Encounters with Dawood Ibrahim: Bhatt’s first encounter with Dawood dates back to his early criminal career when he was establishing his presence in the underworld. Over the years, she met him several times, conducting interviews in India and Dubai. A pivotal moment occurred in 1988 during an interview in Dubai, where she encountered Dawood, a wanted criminal in India for his role in terror activities, including the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

In subsequent years, Bhatt encountered Dawood again, this time in a Baroda jail. Despite her extensive experience interviewing notorious figures without fear, she was surprised to find Dawood casually playing football inside the prison.

During their conversation, Dawood revealed his plan to retaliate against Alamzeb, a significant figure in Karim Lala’s Mumbai operations, and shortly after Bhatt’s article on the subject, Alamzeb met an unfortunate end.

In 1987, she had another meeting with Dawood, who persistently contacted her from Dubai, leading to an arranged interview in 1988 focused on investigating the drug business.

_{Repurposed article originally published in ShethePeople}