A court here on Tuesday remanded Ashok Malhotra, alleged kingpin of the multi-crore land scam in the capital to 14 days CBI custody, saying his custodial interrogation was required to unearth the nexus, if any, between him and other suspects including public servants in the case.

“CBI is apprehending that the identity of other co-accused including public servants and certain documents may have been concealed, which have to be investigated besides the fictitious names in which number of such plots were allotted,” Special Judge S K Kaushik said.

Allowing CBI application for the custodial interrogation of the accused till August 21, the court said, the fake identity cards and ration cards, allegedly recovered during the raids at his premises, besides the place where ill-gotten wealth may have been invested, were yet to be investigated.

The CBI contended that the accused was required to be confronted with voluminous documents and the suspects. We have to take him to various places where he stayed during the evasion of his arrest, the CBI counsel Virender Kumar said.

Earlier, Ashok Soni, counsel for the accused submitted that the accused was always ready to appear before the CBI for the investigation. “There was no need to issue an NBW against Malhotra as he always wanted to join investigation and surrender before the designated court,” he said.

Malhotra was taken into custody on Monday from a private news channel studio in Noida for having allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with five DDA officials.