It’s now judicial custody for Bharat Shah

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 1: Shah’s counsel Shiraz Rahimtoola and Vibhav Krishna told Judge A P Bhangale that since senior counsel V R Manohar was busy in the J W Singh case at the Bombay High Court, the defence was seeking an adjournment to Friday. The bomb hoax at the High Court had delayed proceedings there. The judge while remanding Shah ordered him to be produced in court tomorrow during the hearing of the bail application.

Shah will be in judicial custody for the first time, five days short of the time-limit of 30 days he can remain normally under police custody. Shah was arrested on January 8. The judge also remanded Rizvi back to judicial custody until the same date. It has permitted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take custody of Rizvi from February 5 to interrogate him on hawala deals.

Rizvi’s lawyer Sayaji Nangre argued the ED could quiz him in jail itself instead of taking him to its offices. But the ED counsel said it would not be be possible to interrogate on hawala deals in the prison premises.