Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is neither poisoned nor dead, intelligence sources told India Today on Monday.
The rumours surrounding Ibrahim's alleged poisoning and hospitalisation began circulating after a Pakistani YouTuber, relying on unverified social media reports, speculated on the matter in a late-night video.
The YouTuber also linked these rumors to an abrupt internet shutdown in Pakistan. However, credible sources dismissed these claims, attributing the connectivity disruptions to a virtual meeting of the opposition Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
During the incident, Netblocks, a global internet freedom watchdog, reported substantial restrictions on major social media platforms in Pakistan for around seven hours on Sunday evening. This timeframe aligned with an online political gathering of the opposition party PTI.
Netblocks commented on the situation, noting, "The incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI."
Additionally, reports in Pakistani media suggest that internet services on Sunday were disrupted across various regions of Pakistan. Users faced difficulties accessing platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
The disruptions have persisted since 7 pm on Sunday, with Karachi, Mir Pur Khas, Lahore, and Rawalpindi reported as the most severely affected cities, according to Geo News.
Dawood Ibrahim, considered the mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts that resulted in the loss of over 250 lives and left thousands injured, was declared a "global terrorist" by the Indian and US governments in 2003.
Presently, he remains on India's 'Most Wanted List.' Indian authorities have consistently claimed that Ibrahim resides in Pakistan's Clifton area, although Pakistani authorities have consistently denied his presence in the country.
With inputs from Arvind Ojha and Ankit Kumar