Mumbai: Decks have been cleared for the trial
of Riyaz Siddiqui in the 1995 Pradeep Jain murder case, with
the prosecution filing a chargesheet against him in the
Special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court
here.
Siddiqui is currently in jail for his alleged role in the
1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, as an undertrial. The
chargesheet against him in Jain case was filed yesterday.
Siddiqui had earlier applied to the court, seeking to
turn approver, but later, during the trial, he did not support
the prosecution case and denied his and gangster Abu Salem`s
roles in the murder.
The prosecution later declared him hostile. Jain, a
city-based builder, was shot dead outside his Juhu bungalow on
March 7, 1995.
Police said gangster Abu Salem had him killed over a
property dispute.
In the confession, retracted later, Riyaz had said that
he was present at the meeting called by Salem and underworld
don Dawood Ibrahim`s brother Anees Ibrahim to hatch the
conspiracy.
The court is already trying Abu Salem, builder Virendra
Jhamb and one Mehndi Hassan in the Jain murder case. The case
against the trio is in the final argument stage.
PTI
