In what highlights the sorry state of security in court premises in the country, gangster Mustaffa Dossa, a close aide of the fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, met models inside a local court here to finalise them for an assignment in Dubai. According to reports, Dossa, who is also an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case auditioned models for a Dubai-based jewellery brand while in the court for a case hearing.

According to an FIR filed by a 19-year-old girl, the incident took place earlier this month. Dossa shortlisted three models out of the eight brought to the sessions court premises by one named Shivkumar Ghosalkar. These women were told they would be getting a modelling assignment for a jewellery shop in Dubai and were also paid token money.

The FIR further noted that on May 8, Dossa's aide Khayyumuddin Sayyed, paid Rs 1 lakh to the woman. However, on her way back she was apprehended by two men who claimed to be crime branch officers. They threatened her of dire consequences if she didn't pay Rs 5lakh to them. She called Sayyed for help following which he assured the men of giving the money and even handed over them the token amount given to the woman for Dubai assignment.

It was only when she reached the Antop Hill crime branch unit a few days later, the model found that the crime branch officials who kidnapped her were fake. An FIR was later registered at the Mahim police station. While the crime branch arrested Khayummudin and Firoz Mustafa Khan alias Badi on May 15, other accused Mohammed Anwar Ansari was arrested by the Shivaji Park police on May 16.

"We are trying to gather more information on it. We will take action accordingly," Ranjeet Patil, Minister of State, Home, Maharashtra said.