Court frames charges of extortion against Abu Salem

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) A Delhi court on Tuesday framed
charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy against
underworld don Abu Salem, paving the way for his trial in a
7-year-old case.

Salem, who was brought to the capital from India's
western city of Bhopal amid tight security arrangements, was
produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja
who framed criminal charges against the extradited gangster.

Arvind Shukla, counsel for Salem, claimed that there
was insufficient evidence to frame charges against the
accused.

The prosecution said there was a "positive" forensic
report of the intercepted calls of Salem which is sufficient
ground for his trial.

The court after hearing the contentions of both the
ordered the trial of the accused under sections 387
(extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (criminal
intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Meanwhile, the counsel for Salem also moved a bail
application which was listed for hearing by the court on
July 14.

The trial against Salem is to begin from July 21 with
the recording of statements of the witnesses in the case.

Three other accused-- C P Rai, Istiyaq Ahmed and Sadiq
Aliin- have already been charged in the case in 2003.

Salem was produced before the court after it had on
May 30 issued a fresh production warrant against the accused
following the Mumbai police's failure to produce him in an
extortion case.

Earlier, the court had on May eight directed the
Arthur Road Jail authorities in India's westren city of Mumbai
to produce Salem on May 30.

The Mumbai police had on December 12 last year,
January 16, February 24, March 19, April 10 and April 24 this
year failed to produce the gangster here.

Salem, who was brought here on November 26 last year,
has been lodged in the Mumbai jail after being extradited from
Portugal in 2005.

All the accused, including Salem, have been booked for
making threat calls to Rajat Nagrath, owner of Delhi-based
Allied Communication demanding Rs one crore in 2002.

Salem is facing trial in eight cases including 1993
Mumbai serial blasts and two murder cases across the country.
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