Mumbai: Steps have been taken to initiate extradition proceedings against Abdul Rauf Merchant alias Rauf Raja, the killer of Gulshan Kumar, to bring him to India from Bangladesh where he is lodged in jail, Maharashtra Government informed the Bombay High Court today.
Merchant, who jumped parole last year, was arrested in Bangladesh by Interpol following which CBI took steps to commence proceedings to bring him here, government pleader
Jayesh Yagnik told the court.
"Mumbai Police has already sent papers to the Centre and extradition proceedings to bring Merchant to India have been initiated by CBI," Yagnik said. Justices Ajay Khanvilkar and U D Salvi asked CBI to file report within eight weeks.
The court was hearing an appeal filed by Merchant against his conviction and also an application by Maharashtra Government against the acquittal of 16 accused, including
filmmaker Ramesh Taurani, due to lack of evidence.
Kumar was shot dead outside a temple in suburban Juhu in August 1997. According to police, his rivals had paid money to gangster Abu Salem to eliminate him. However, the trial court convicted only Merchant and acquitted the others. Music director Nadeem was declared as an absconding accused.
Police had claimed that Nadeem paid the contract money
to Salem.
PTI
