New Delhi: Dawood Ibrahim, the dreaded underworld don and one of India's most wanted terrorist, is unlikely to be brought to justice anytime soon with the Union government on Tuesday admitting in Parliament that he is not on Indian intelligence radar. Dawood has been absconding for more than two decades and even though India claims he is being shielded by Pakistan on its soil, there has been very little forward movement to track and nab him.

Soon after Minister of State (Home) Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary informed Parliament that Dawood Ibrahim's whereabouts are unknown and an extradition process can only be initiated after he is located, opposition parties demanded an explanation from the Centre.

"Rajnath Singh needs to give answers. BJP must explain its U-turn on Dawood. The ministry backtracking on the whereabouts of Dawood is very disheartening. The government is now claiming that it does have a clue about the whereabouts of Dawood but a few months back they said they are aware. Either they were misleading earlier or are misleading now," he said.

The government on Tuesday informed Parliament that Dawood Ibrahim's whereabouts are unknown and an extradition process can only be initiated after he is located. The statement contradicts Home Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks in December 2014 when he said that action will be taken to bring Dawood back to India.

Even former Intelligence Bureau director Rajendra Kumar maintained a different view from that of the government and claimed that Dawood is still hiding in Pakistan.

"We should continue to put pressure on Pakistan over Dawood issue. There is no question of him going out of Pakistan. At times the government has to say things like this. Government at times cannot declare his whereabouts openly. He must be in Pakistan. He is a designated international terrorist. He is moved by ISI from one place to another time to time in Pakistan," said Kumar who tracked Dawood in Pakistan.

Former Home Secretary GK Pillai also supported Kumar and said that Dawood is in Pakistan. "He keeps moving. He does not stay at one place all the time. His two addresses in Pakistan are known, it was communicated to Pakistan as well,' he said.

Giving a benefit of doubt to the government, former Mumbai Police Commissioner and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Satya Pal Singh said that it is possible that Dawood's exact location may not be known. "His location might not be known at this moment but they (intelligence agencies) will know it tomorrow." he said.

According to sources, Dawood was last traced to Karachi and used to travel to Dubai, but stopped after an Interpol Red Corner Notice was issued against him. Sources also said that the Pakistan government does not want to hand him to India as he may divulge details of his operations with its intelligence agency ISI.

Dawood is accused by India of being the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. On March 12, 1993, the city of Mumbai was rocked by 13 explosions in different parts of the city. It resulted in 257 fatalities and over 700 were injured.