Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar has made a controversial statement about underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

In an interview given to leading national English daily he reportedly said “Dawood contacted me to surrender himself months after 1993 Mumbai blasts, but he dropped the idea after CBI refuses to provide any protection to him. He further added that the government of the day also shelved plans for his arrest in the last minute.

His media statement creates havoc in the political and bureaucrats circles. After being strongly condemned for making baseless statements that would tarnish the reputation of the CBI and the intelligence agencies, Neeraj Kumar takes a ‘U’ turn on his statement and said “It was just an informal chat with a media friend. It was incorrect and unfortunate. Dawood has contacted me after Mumbai blasts, but not to surrender, but to give his defense in connection with Mumbai blasts. He has never offered to surrender himself to police nor did anyone stop him from surrendering.”

But, Neeraj Kumar’s statement made during a book release function in the last month was acknowledging what he said recently was genuine. Referring to Dawood as a certain gentleman whom CBI had planned to get at with the help of non-state actors but the move was scuttled by his political bosses.

Neeraj Kumar was a 1976 batch IPS officer, who retired as Delhi Police Chief in 2013. He worked in CBI for nine years before taking charge of Delhi Police.