New Delhi: The interrogation of the two accused of the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts deported from Dubai, Ejaz Pathan and Mustafa Dossa, has thrown fresh light on involvement of Pakistan and its intelligence agency, ISI, in the serial bomb blasts that left 257 people dead and damaged property worth Rs 30 crore.

"They have spoken about Pakistan and how they were used by ISI and also how they obtained Pakistani passports despite being Indian nationals," CBI Director P C Sharma told reporters in New Delhi.

To a question whether he was upset after Dubai Police released underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anis despite a deportation request pending against him, the CBI Director replied "his release was a bad experience".

However, he said that the co-operation extended by the UAE and efforts put in by authorities in New Delhi, especially the External Affairs Ministry, have made it possible to have two of the accused deported to India and stand trial.

Sharma said that the present co-operation was worth emulation by other countries as well. "I hope we will get more people who are on list of wanted persons," the CBI Director said.

Referring to Abu Salem, another main accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast and presently in custody of the Portuguese authorities, the CBI Director said, "he continues to be under detention and the Lisbon authorities are screening our extradition request. We are hopeful that desired results would come."

The remand of Salem, who has been in judicial custody in Portugal since September 18 2002, was extended for the third time on March 17, 2003 as the Lisbon police was carrying out an investigation against him in a forgery case after it was found that the accused had used forged documents in procuring a resident Working Permit in that country.

Asked whether the deportation of two accused would lead the CBI to initiate further probe into the 1993 Mumbai blasts, he said, "no not at all. Investigations conducted by CBI had gathered evidence against all accused persons involved in the ghastly crime irrespective of whether they were in India or had flown out of the country."

"The trial is being conducted on the basis of this evidence. Those being deported now are being confronted with the same evidence gathered," he said.

However, the CBI Director said, "if anything more comes out during interrogation, it is going to help the trial more effectively."

Over all, the CBI has filed 13,000 pages charge-sheet against 124 accused who also include Bollywood actor Sunjay Dutt.

PTI