MUMBAI: Arrested 'ethical hacker' Manish Bhangale sought bail in an alleged forgery case before the Esplanade court on Thursday even as Aabad Ponda special public prosecutor appointed by the state strongly opposed his plea. The Mumbai Police cyber cell had on March 31, arrested Jalgaon resident Bhangale, who created a furore when he alleged last year that BJP leader and former revenue minister Ekanath Khadse had connected telephonically with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim 's residence in Pakistan. The court has posted the matter for orders on April 25.Specially appointed by the state in this case, Ponda arguing against bail said that "prima facie investigation reveals that all emails relied by Bhangale and the alleged correspondence between Dawood's wife and PTCL were bogus. Bhangale had said that he had hacked into Dawood's wife and communicated with PTCL. Probe has shown the source of the email is fabricate and not from PTCL said Ponda and punched in several other points to show that even the Indian records of phone calls received and made did not correspond with the contents of the emails. Ponda said there was a discrepancy in the server actually used and claimed to be used. He said, "it was a serious offence of committing forgery by deceit to remove a revenue minister of Maharashtra,'' and further detailed probe is still required. He being a hacker, if released, he would tamper with evidence at this nascent and crucial stage.''On Thursday, Bhangale's lawyer Ashok Singh argued that instead of probing the complaint filed by Bhangale last April, the police sat on it, "but promptly arrested him on a complaint filed by Ravidra Barate Khdse's builder friend.'' Bhangale had created a fake mobile bill on a computer to show call records between Khadse and Dawood's residence in Pakistan, the police had said. The case against Bhangale was under sections 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) under the Indian Penal Code read with 66 D of the Information Technology Act.Singh said, "The documents submitted by Bhangale are genuine. They were invoices or call details received from Pakistan Telecommunications Corporation Ltd which linked several persons from India as having received calls from the residence of Dawood's wife. The state had informed the Bombay high court that an expert committee would look into Bhangale's complaint. But now his arrest appears to be an attempt to scuttle the investigation,'' said Singh.

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