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Saturday, Feb 26, 2005

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CBI questions gutka company owner

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, FEB. 25. Jagdish Joshi, owner of Goa Gutka, was today interrogated by a Central Bureau of Investigation team, probing his alleged links with the underworld.

Mr. Joshi arrived at the Central Bureau of Investigation office near the State Secretariat in south Mumbai around 12.30 pm accompanied by his lawyer, Ganesh Gole, and his brother, Arun Joshi. He was questioned for several hours.

CBI officials refused to comment, but sources said it was likely that Mr. Joshi would be questioned till he is produced in the Bombay High Court on Monday. The CBI is not contemplating any action till then. The case was earlier being investigated by the Mumbai police.

Mr. Joshi arrived in New Delhi from Dubai and reached Mumbai only yesterday. His passport is with the CID in Pune as he had been arrested in a murder case some years ago. He had sought the High Court's permission last year to visit Dubai for six months.

Mr. Joshi and his former business associate, Rasiklal Dhariwal, of Manikchand Gutka, were wanted for questioning by the Mumbai police following the `confession' of gangster Jamiruddin Ansari, arrested in October last. Ansari had allegedly said that the businessmen had links with gangster Dawood Ibrahim and that they had sold him some machines. On December 31, the special court hearing cases under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act had issued non-bailable arrest warrants. Both Mr. Joshi and Mr. Dhariwal challenged this in the special court and later in the High Court. The Division Bench allowed Mr. Joshi to appear before the CBI today and stayed the operation of the warrant till February 28.

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