Gutka barons Jagdish Joshi and Rasiklal Manikchand Dhariwal on Monday assured the Bombay high court they would will appear before the police in the underworld links case as soon as they finish their business in UAE.

The prosecution has pressed for their custody calling for sustained interrogation.

Joshi's lawyer Sirish Gupte said his client would appear on February 25, while Dhariwal's counsel Adik Shirodkar said he would come to India in March end.

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Hearing petitions filed by gutka barons for cancellation of non-bailable warrants against them, Justice R M S Khandeparkar and Justice P V Kakade did not approve Dhariwal's suggestion to allow police to question him through video conferencing or send a team to the UAE for questioning.

Seeking custodial interrogation of gutka barons, Shekhar Naphade, counsel for Maharashtra, said the investigating agency had been corresponding with the gutka barons for two months before procuring the warrants.

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Considering the serious allegations levelled against them for offences under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, custodial interrogation was necessary, he said.

Shirodkar said Dhariwal would appear in March once he completes 180 days outside India to maintain his NRI status.

He said Dhariwal had suggested he was willing to answer the police's queries by video conferencing.

Dhariwal had asked for two officers from Mumbai to be sent to question him.

Justice Khandeparkar reacted saying, "You are asking police to probe as per your convenience."