(Online Desk)

Notorious underworld kingpin Dawood Ibrahim's aide Farooq Takla was arrested in New Delhi on Thursday by the CBI after he arrived from Dubai.

He will be produced before TADA court in Mumbai. Takla was brought to Mumbai in Air India flight AI 996 on Thursday morning.

Mustak Mohammad Miya alias Farooq Takla had fled from India after the 1993 blasts in Mumbai.

According to a news agency, Takla was at the immigration office of the Indira Gandhi International Airport when a CBI team arrested him as an Interpol Red Corner notice had been issued against him.

He was arrested at the Delhi airport and will be produced before a designated court later today, the CBI spokesperson said.

According to the officials, in the know of developments, central intelligence agencies were working in securing arrests or deportations of close aides of Dawood, who has been designated by the US authorities as a global terrorist and faces sanctions in the United Nations.

While the CBI declined to comment on how he reached Delhi as an Interpol red Corner notice was pending against him, officials said Farooq was deported from the UAE with the help of central intelligence agencies and put on a flight to Delhi.

The role of Farooq in the D-company was not clear, but some officials said that he used to look after the Dubai operations of the underworld don.

India's sustained campaign against Dawood was finally acknowledged by America in 2003 when the US Treasury department declared him a global terrorist having links with al-Qaeda.

He also faces sanctions from the United Nations under its anti-terror resolution.

Vindicating India's position that Pakistan has been sheltering Dawood, the Treasury Department had said he was in Karachi and possessed a Pakistani passport under the individual category.

Earlier, a Red Corner Notice was issued against him in 1995. Apart from this, Takla also faces criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and several other charges.

At least 27 other accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, continue to elude and are declared as absconders. 

In 2017, Dawood's brother, Iqbal was arrested in Mumbai in connection with a case of extortion.

Majeed Memon, NCP leader & senior criminal lawyer said that the fact Takla has returned shows he has expressed his willingness to come back for trial. 

"He'll certainly be remanded to custody, there's no question of bail being granted to him. Till next development he'll be in jail", said Memon.

"This is a huge success. He was involved in 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts the links of which can be traced back to Dubai. This is a big-blow to D-Gang", said senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam on the extradition of Dawood Ibrahim's aide Farooq Takla.

On a related note, criminal lawyer Shyam Keswani had said that the fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is reportedly "keen to return to India" but with certain preconditions which are not acceptable to the Indian government.

The lawyer on Tuesday also said that Dawood has stipulated are that he should be lodged only in the high-secure precincts of Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ) in Mumbai.

Ibrahim is the key accused in the case of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that left nearly 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.