A Dubai court has granted bail to Anees Ibrahim, brother of the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Ibrahim is the main accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case. Two days ago the Interpol had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to send a request for extraditing Anees, who was picked up by the Dubai police on December three in connection with a murder case of another gangster.

Ibrahim was released on Thursday night. The details of conditions on which he was given bail were not known immediately but the move came as a jolt to the CBI, which was processing the extradition request to be sent to the UAE.

The CBI was particularly hopeful in view of the success achieved earlier this year in the quick deportation to India of Aftab Ansari, main accused in the shootout case at the American Center in Kolkata, and a similar action in gaining custody of Muthapa Rai, henchman of Dawood Ibrahim.

When contacted, a CBI spokesman said that the agency had received nothing officially from the UAE authorities and that the CBI was in the process of making an extradition request for Anees.

Earlier, CBI Director P C Sharma had told reporters that while a deportation request was already pending with the UAE authorities, the agency was also moving an extradition request as asked by the Interpol.

Sharma said Anees' arrest had been communicated to the CBI by the UAE authorities and had also expressed hope that a "healthy trend of exchanging criminals between the two countries would continue uninterrupted".

Anees was arrested in Dubai on December three following which the CBI had rushed an official to the port city to try and bring him to India.

Besides his involvement in the Mumbai blasts, Anees is also wanted in nearly 70 cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, kidnapping for ransom pending against him in several states.

A K Gupta, deputy director (coordination) and in charge of Interpol-CBI relation, who was camping in the port city since December eight has since returned.

Anees was detained by Dubai authorities in 1996, but was later left off for want of evidence. He was again arrested in Bahrain in late 1990s but was later shifted to Dubai, from where he was released.

Official sources were apprehensive about the latest move, which they feel, would make the don elusive again for the CBI.