In gangster Abu Salem’s first conviction under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), a special court on Monday held him guilty of the murder of builder Pradeep Jain. His former driver Mehendi Hassan and an 86-year-old builder, V.K. Jhamb, have been convicted with him in the 20-year-old case.
Abu Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in 2005, is likely to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court. Seventeen bullets were pumped into Pradeep Jain outside his Juhu bungalow on March 7, 1995. His brother escaped with a bullet injury.
The court said on Monday that the prosecution had proved that the conspiracy to kill the builder was hatched in Dubai by Abu Salem and Anis Ibrahim in October 1994. Judge G.A. Sanap said that when the Jain brothers did not succumb to pressure mounted by the gangster for their property, he committed the murder. “The evidence adduced by the prosecution in this case is concrete, cogent and reliable. I do no see any reason to disbelieve and discard it,” the judge said. “The prosecution has proven that it was a terrorist act, and that there was use of sophisticated firearms. It was done with the intention of striking terror in the minds of the Jain brothers.”
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Abu Salem, along with Mehendi Hassan, has been convicted of terrorism under TADA. Salem has been convicted under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Mehendi Hassan has been convicted under sections 120B, 302, 307, 386, 449, 450 and 452 of the Indian Penal Code.
“This is a historic and important judgment. This is the first time underworld don Abu Salem has been held guilty as a terrorist,” special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.