TADA court orders Abu Salem`s transfer back to Taloja jail

Mumbai: A designated TADA court on Tuesday directed the prisons department to transfer extradited gangster Abu Salem back to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai from Thane jail where he has been lodged since November last year.

"The special court has directed the prisons department to transfer Salem back to Taloja jail by February 2," Salem`s counsel Sabha Qureshi told reporters. Salem had in July 2013 moved an application before the special court seeking directions to the jail authorities that he should either be moved to Embassy of Portugal in Goa/Delhi or to Taloja jail. "The applicant (Salem) may be transferred to Portugal Embassy till the final decision is reached on the issue of his repatriation to Portugal post termination of Extradition Order in the interest of justice," Salem had said in his application. In the application, Salem had also said he felt unsafe in jails other than Taloja jail. Salem had said he should not be transferred to any other jail in the interest of justice since the risk to his life is higher in other jails. The gangster had made several applications stating that he faces death threats in other jails from 1993 bomb blasts accused Mustafa Dossa, fugitive don Chhota Shakeel etc and fears elimination at the hands of the dreaded gangs if transferred to any other jail. "Though (Salem) was attacked in the Taloja jail, the security is beefed up there now hence there are little chances of any further attacks on his life whereas the chances (of attack) are high in other jails," the application had said. Salem, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005 after a prolonged legal battle. Salem was injured in hand after he was allegedly shot at by gangster Devendra Jagtap, an accused in the murder of advocate Shahid Azmi who had represented an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, in Taloja Central Jail on June 27, 2013.