Mumbai: Three years after Abdul Qayyum
Shaikh was deported from Dubai for his alleged role in the
murder of audio king Gulshan Kumar, the first witness in the
case deposed against him before a local court today.
Kumar was shot dead by three assailants outside a temple
on August 12, 1997.
The complainant deposed before the Sewree sessions court
and supported the prosecution`s case saying that he had seen
three persons opened fire at Kumar.
The prosecution has informed the court that it would
examine nine witnesses in the case against Qayyum.
According to the prosecution, Qayyum was one of the
conspirators who attended a meeting at Dubai where the plot to
kill Kumar was hatched.
The meetings allegedly took place in the Dubai office of
Anees Ibrahim, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The
prosecution has contended that gangster Abu Salem and
absconding accused and music composer Nadeem Saifee were also
present in the meetings.
Kumar was murdered allegedly due to business rivalry.
Music baron Ramesh Taurani had allegedly paid Rs 25 lakh to
Salem to eliminate Kumar.
However, police could not prove the conspiracy angle and
Taurani and 17 other accused were acquitted by the trial
court. The state has filed an appeal in Bombay High Court
against the lower court`s verdict acquitting the accused.
Salem, who was extradited from Portugal, is shown as
absconding accused in Kumar`s murder. The treaty signed with
Portugal did not mention that he would be tried in this case.
Nadeem was in London at the time of Kumar`s murder and
has not returned since then. The government sought extradition
of Nadeem but lost the case in a UK court.
PTI
