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Salem gets police custody till Dec 17
MUMBAI, DEC 2, 2005 (PTI)

A designated TADA court today extended the police custody of extradited gangster Abu Salem till December 17, as the prosecution claimed that "new names have come to light" which may have a bearing in 1995 murder case of real estate developer Pradeep Jain.

Salem was first remanded to police custody in the Jain murder case on November 24 after spending 12 days in CBI custody.

Seeking extension of remand, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the court that during Salem's interrogation the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Mumbai police have come across certain new names in connection with Salem's extortion racket which may have a bearing in the Pradeep Jain murder case.

"New names have been revealed," Nikam said, adding that there would be arrests soon.

Apart from progress in probe of Pradeep Jain case, Nikam stated, the ATS has recorded statements -- before Magistrate -- of two victims of Salem's extortion racket.

"Salem used to call people from two phone numbers in Dubai to make extortion demands. We have now recorded statements of two new persons, who got calls from these numbers, went to Dubai to meet Salem and paid up (ransom)," Nikam said.

Talking about need for further remand, Nikam argued that police have to probe how the "supari" amount in Pradeep Jain murder case was routed and how much money changed hands.

"It is also to be found out who were the participants in the conspiracy, apart from seizing of some material evidence and certain documents," Nikam said.

Prosecutor Nikam said, "sophisticated" weapons were used in Jain's murder, and the police want to find out how they got into the hands of the killers. Without elaborating, Nikam asserted, "there have been some sensitive revelations." Opposing the extension of police custody, defence counsel Ashok Sarogi alleged that Salem was being tortured in custody.

"If it is not true, then why prosecution is opposing our demand that defence lawyers be allowed to be present during the interrogation?" he asked.

Sarogi also reiterated the defence team's earlier allegation that Sunil Jain, brother of Pradip Jain was allowed to meet and put questions to Salem during the interrogation.

When judge P V Bavkar asked Salem who were interrogating him (judge had earlier ordered that only two officers were to question him), he did not name Sunil Jain.

But when Advocate Sarogi mentioned Sunil Jain having confronted Salem in custody, the latter endorsed it.

Salem also alleged that despite the Judge's earlier direction he was being grilled by several officers. "They ask me about things other than the Jain case," he complained. But he didn't say anything about alleged torture.

Meanwhile, the court also allowed any one of the lawyers -- including Harjyot Singh who flew in from London last night -- to meet Salem everyday, notwithstanding prosecution's objection.

Opposing the ATS petition, Salem's lawyer O A Siddiqui said the petition cannot be admitted since the TADA court's order can only be challenged in the Supreme Court. The public prosecutor pointed out that November 29 order of TADA court was interlocutory and could be challenged under Section 19 of TADA Act.

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