Metropolitan magistrate B A Shelar of Bandra Court today dismissed the plea by counsel for the accused that they were established directors, saying ``The law is the same for influential people and the common man.''

The magistrate noted that the duo had no respect for the court and failed to turn up for hearings several times after a police constable filed a case in 1989 alleging that they had physically assaulted him near Centaur Hotel at Juhu. Their plea for police instead of jail custody was also turned down.

The court had last month declared Lalit and Jatin as absconders. Lalit was arrested by Santacruz police and remanded to judicial custody yesterday. Jatin surrendered before the court today and was also placed under judicial custodytill March 23. Both have been lodged at Arthur Road Central jail.