New Delhi: Underworld don Abu Salem today
opposed framing of extortion charges in a Delhi court on the
ground that the Indian government did not mention about his
impending prosecution under harsher penal provision while
seeking his extradition from Portugal.
"The CBI, in the extradition request to Portugal, had
said that Salem would be prosecuted under sections 120B
(criminal conspiracy) and 384 (extortion) which prescribes a
maximum jail term of three years of the IPC," Arvind Shukla,
counsel for the accused, told the court.
"Now, the prosecution wants to frame charges under
section 387 (putting a person in fear of life) of the IPC
which prescribes maximum jail term of seven years," he said
before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kiran Bansal.
Salem, along with Romesh Sharma, alleged frontman of
underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, has been booked for allegedly
making threat calls to three Delhi-based businesspersons
demanding money in 1998.
Public prosecutor Rajeev Mohan opposed Salem`s
contention contending the fact that Salem was in active
connivance with Romesh Sharma was sufficient to frame
extortion charges against him.
The court has fixed the matter for order on
chargeframing against Salem on December 15 and said the trial
against Romesh and Salem be segregated.
A FIR was lodged at Hauz Khas police station in 1998
under 384 (extortion) and 120B (conspiracy) of IPC.
Salem, extradited from Portugal in 2005 to face trial
in various cases including that of 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, is
facing trial along with Romesh on the charge of hatching a
conspiracy to extort money from three persons based here.
The gangster has also sought bail on statutory grounds
saying he has spent three years in jail, which is more than
the prescribed punishment for the offence of extortion.
He was extradited in connection with Mumbai blasts,
passport forgery cases in Lucknow and Hyderabad, three
extortion cases and a conspiracy to murder in Delhi and Pradip
Jain case in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, another Delhi court deferred the recording
of evidence till December 15 against Salem and three others in
a case lodged for making threat calls to businessman Rajat
Nagrath, owner of Allied Communication, at East of Kailash
here demanding Rs one crore in 2002.
-PTI
