NEW DELHI, Jan 31:
A Delhi Court on Wednesday partly heard the final arguments against jailed Underworld don Abu Salem in an extortion case of 2002 and adjourned the matter for February 21.
It was alleged that Salem demanded Rs five crore as protection money from businessman Ashok Gupta and his son Abhishek, residents of Greater Kailash in south Delhi in April 2002.
The gangster allegedly threatened that if the demand was not fulfilled, he would eliminate their family members. Delhi Police Special Cell has registered a case under Sections 387, 506, 507, 120 b, 201 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3(2), 3(4) of MCOCA against the accused in 2002.
Apart from Salem, Chanchal Mehta, Majid Khan, Pawan Kumar Mittal and Mohd Ashraf are facing trial in the said matter, while one of the accused Sajjan Kumar Soni died during the course of trial.
It is submitted by the Police that some of the telephone calls made by Salem to Gupta has been recorded in the matter. Salem was extradited from Portugal in November 2005 and granted bail in 2013 in the present case.
However, he is currently in jail on various other cases, including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. It is submitted on behalf of the Defence Counsel that the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) has already been withdrawn and the evidence recorded under that cannot be used against Salem.
The charges of criminal conspiracy defined under 120 B of the Indian Penal Code also stand withdrawn and there is nothing to connect him with the co-accused.
The Counsel further submitted before the court that Salem was tried in violation of the extradition order. Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Sehrawat, after hearing the final arguments on behalf of the Prosecution and Defence Counsel, adjourned the matter for further hearing of the final argument. (UNI)
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