A special court on Wednesday allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate producer of `chori chori chupke chupke` Nasim Rizvi for two days for his alleged Hawala deals even as Mumbai High Court extended till January 22 police remand of Bharat Shah who had financed the controversial film. Justice S S Parkar had heard the arguments for the past three days with regard to the bail petition, and would deliver the verdict on Thursday.

On a plea by Shah`s lawyer Ashok Desai, the court extended his remand which was to expire on Thursday. Shah had been remanded to police custody by a special court set up under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Shah`s counsel urged that his client`s remand may be extended so that the court could consider on merits his prayer to see the remand papers and know the grounds of arrest.
Public prosecutor Vijaya Kapse-Tahilramani vehemently opposed Shah`s bail on the ground that investigations were at crucial stage and his release would hamper the probe. She also objected to shah`s claim for remand papers and a copy of the First Information Report (FIR).

The prosecutor urged that remand application could be shown to the accused when the chargesheet was filed before the commencement of the trial. If he was shown the papers at this stage there was a possibility that probe may be hampered as remand papers contained identity of witnesses, she argued. However, she placed the papers before the court for its perusal. The prosecution urged that the state had no objection to Shah`s request for an interview with lawyers but he could not fix the time in this regard.

Bureau Report