145;Dar gaya tha146;

The two gangsters deported from Dubai yesterday, Ejaz Pathan and Iqbal Kaskar, began their tryst with the law in separate courts here today.

Pathan, key accused in the 1993 Bombay blasts case, Ejaz Mohammad Sharif alias Ejaz Pathan, was produced before a judge of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act court while Kaskar 8212; better known as Dawood Ibrahim8217;s brother 8212; was produced before the 33rd Metropolitan Magistrate for planning and executing the murder of a Customs informer in 1998. Magistrate V K Sharma remanded him to police till March 6, while Pathan will be in CBI custody until February 27.

Pathan, dressed nattily in a grey sweat-shirt, dark blue track pants and sneakers, told the TADA court he hadn8217;t appeared before the judge until now because he8217;d escaped to Dubai. 8216;8216;Dar gaya tha8217;8217; I was scared, he said, adding that his involvement in the blasts planning and execution was 8216;8216;minimal8217;8217;. Pathan had a non-bailable warrant issued against him on August 18, 1993. According to the CBI8217;s chargesheet in the case, he had recruited trainees for commando training in Pakistan.

Curiously, both Kaskar and Pathan told the respective courts that they had come to India of their own accord. The amused magistrate asked the Kaskar8217;s advocate how it was possible for his client to have arrived in India without a passport. The government had impounded Iqbal Kaskar8217;s passport in 1998, and Kaskar8217;s counter-plea is pending in the Supreme Court.

Judge P D Kode allowed Pathan to meet his Mumbai-based sister for 15 minutes twice during custody. Pathan requested the court to inform his wife Sarah Sayeed Zakir, who is in Dubai, of his arrest. 8216;8216;Mein thoda sa bolega. Hello, salam valleikum bolega, phir CBI walle bath kar sakte hain8230;8217;8217; I8217;ll just say hello, then the CBI investigators can speak to her he pleaded.

Kaskar8217;s counsel complained that his client had not been offered food by the Mumbai police, since the earlier night. The magistrate asked the accused, 8216;8216;Iqbal, kya tumne khaana nahi khaya?8217;8217; have you not eaten? Kaskar replied in the negative. The police later said the accused had himself chosen to eat after appearing in court. The barefoot Kaskar was then escorted by three police jeeps to the lock-up at the Police headquarters at Crawford Market.