Mumbai: Extradited gangster Abu Salem was today sentenced to life imprisonment by special TADA court for murder of Mumbai-based builder Pradeep Jain in 1995. Confirming the court’s judgement, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the mediapersons that the special TADA court found Abu Salem guilty in Pradeep Jain murder case and ordered life imprisonment for him.A former associate of wanted terrorist and mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, the 47-year-old Salem is currently lodged in Taloja Central Jail in adjoining Raigad district. In the Jain murder trial, Nikam had initially demanded the death penalty, which he later converted to a life sentence owing to conditions of the extradition treaty between India and Portugal.
Salem’s lawyer Sudeep Pasgola argued that he could not be given the death sentence as it would violate the treaty between the two countries. On February 16, the special TADA court had found Salem and two others – Mehndi Hasan and Virendra Jhamb – guilty of the murder of Jain, who was shot dead outside his Juhu residence March 7, 1995 following a property dispute.
Salem, Hasan and Jhamb were charged and convicted for offences like murder and criminal conspiracy. Additional Sessions Judge VA Sanap will pass the order on punishment. The case is one of the most important for the Indian legal and law enforcing authorities as it involves a wanted absconding accused extradited to face the law.
Bureau Report
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