Mumbai, February 20
One of India’s most wanted criminals, Iqbal Hasan Sheikh Kaskar, deported here last night from Dubai, was today remanded in police custody till March 6, even as the gangster claimed that he had returned to the country on his own and not deported as stated by the authorities.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate V.K. Sharma remanded Iqbal for 15 days as sought by the police.
Earlier, Iqbal, younger brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was produced in the Ballard Pier metropolitan court amid tight security. The burqa-clad Iqbal was wearing black trousers and a full-sleeved T-shirt.
Iqbal has been charged with the murder of a Customs informer, Ravindra Babulal Singh, who was killed on September 21, 1998. He faces charges under Sections 302 and 120 (b) of the IPC.
Counsel for the accused, Shyam Keswani, said he was not praying for a bail and sought shorter custody for Iqbal as the chargesheet had already been filed in this case.
Mr Keswani also claimed that his client had not been deported but came to India on his own as the UAE authorities asked him to leave the country for lack of a valid passport.
Counsel for the accused stated that Iqbal was fighting his legal battle in the Mumbai High Court as the Indian authorities had cancelled his passport.
Iqbal has not sought passport from any other country and came to India only after being asked to leave the UAE, he said.
NEW DELHI: The government said on Thursday that Portugal had agreed to hand over underworld don and Mumbai blasts accused Abu Salem to India.
Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh said during question hour in the Rajya Sabha, “Members are aware we do not have an extradition treaty
with Portugal. But Portugal has been kind enough and is ready to hand over Abu Salem to us”.
Replying to supplementaries, the minister said India had been informed by Portugal that the identity of Abu Salem had been established.
On the deportation of Iqbal Hasan Sheikh and his accomplice Ijaz Pathan, Mr Digvijay Singh said success or failure to get wanted criminals extradited from countries with which India did not have an extradition treaty depended solely on the countries concerned.
The minister said India had concluded extradition treaties with 19 countries.
He said the government had initiated proposals of entering into an extradition treaty with 30 other countries.
