Salem moves HC, fears threat to life

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today issued a notice to CBI, seeking reply to a petition filed by extradited underworld don Abu Salem, which expresses fear that he would be killed or implicated in a false case by the Indian authorities. Salem sent a letter to the High Court to this effect, after the Portugal court recently revoked his extradition. He had filed a similar application before the special TADA court which rejected it saying that there were no grounds or evidence to support his fear. [caption id=“attachment_113001” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2006, and is one of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. AFP Photo”]  [/caption] However, the division bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and P D Kode today issued a notice to the CBI, seeking reply by 7 December. According to Salem’s letter (written from Taloja prison near Mumbai), he has nine cases registered against him; and as the Portugal court has revoked his extradition, Indian investigating agencies may try either to implicate him in a false case, or orchestrate a fake encounter to kill him. Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2006, and is one of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. The letter/petition seeks security, and a direction to the police and the CBI not to register fresh cases against him. PTI