Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS): The political establishments, intelligence circles and media in India and Pakistan are abuzz with intense speculation that the absconder terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, has reportedly been “poisoned and critical” in a Karachi hospital, barely a week ahead of his 68th birthday on December 26.

The first of the buzz started in Mumbai on Sunday evening, but police and intel circles denied any such thing, though they assured that there is constant monitoring of all these types of reports emanating from neigbouring country.

On Monday morning, the Pakistani media has apparently got on to it, with certain social media posts claiming that Internet, Facebook, X, etc were allegedly down after the reports on Kaskar’s critical health cropped up on Sunday, and how he was reportedly battling for life in a Karachi hospital.

Police and intelligence officials in Mumbai and New Delhi have so far kept mum on the situation claiming there are many such reports which keep surfacing regularly, but most are false alarms.

Considered the most wanted terrorist here, India wants to lay its hands on Kaskar for involvement in multiple crimes, terror acts, narcotics, etc. in Mumbai and elsewhere, plus, also as 'a political trophy'.

The prime cases for which India wants him include the March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts -- ranked the worst-ever terror strike in India -- which claimed 267 people, much higher than the 166 who were killed in the terror attacks of November 26, 2008, that hit the country's commercial capital.

According to the statements of his arrested brothers to Maharashtra Police, it was confirmed around seven years ago that Dawood was a permanent resident of Karachi, living in a palatial bungalow in the posh Sadar suburb, under high security.

However, he had been under depression for the past few years after his third child and sole son Moin Nawaz (37), opted for a life of spirituality to become a Maulana-cum-preacher -- leaving question marks on his notorious dad Dawood’s empire and legacy.