Life behind bars has not dimmed underworld don Abu Salem's attraction towards actress and former lover Monia Bedi as he once again publicly said on Wednesday that she was his wife, a claim which has been refuted by her on several occasions. "Monica Bedi is my wife," said the gangster, who has been in jail for three years, while coming out of a Delhi court.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that attack on 1993 serial blasts accused Abu Salem in a Navi Mumbai jail last month could have a negative bearing on the extradition of wanted criminals from at least 50 countries.
India on Monday assured Portugal that it would remain compliant with the expectations of the Portuguese system and judiciary on the issue of gangster Abu Salem.
Portugal's supreme court has stayed a trial court order rejecting an Indian government request to extradite underworld don Abu Salem's girlfriend Monica Bedi.
Portugal's Supreme Court has rejected a Central Bureau of Investigation appeal against a lower court decision which had held that rules have been breached on extradition of underworld don Abu Salem by slapping of new charges that attract death penalty.
Underworld don Abu Salem on Tuesday 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 Bombay high court on Monday deferred till August 16 a petition filed by 1993 serial bomb blast accused Abu Salem challenging a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court's order to separate his trial from other accused.
Salem's family members will be managing the campaign for the don, who is currently in high-security Arthur Jail in Mumbai.
. "As far as Abu Salem is concerned, charges are yet to be proved against him," Qureshi said.
Underworld don Abu Salem, who is facing a criminal case for obtaining a passport under a fake name from the Hyderabad regional passport office, was brought to the city on Wednesday.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on gangster Abu Salem plea for quashing trials against him in various cases after the Portugal court terminated his extradition to India for "violation" of deportation rules by authorities.
Gulshan Kumar, also known as the 'Cassette king', was shot dead in August 1997 outside a temple in suburban Andheri.
Salem has been taken to the high security Arthur road jail following his arrival from Delhi.
Salem has challenged a chargesheet filed against him.
The Supreme Court held that the verdict of Portugal court is "not binding" on courts here and Salem's extradition to India is still "valid in the eyes of law".
One-time actress Monica Bedi will face trial in a case related to possession of forged passport.
The rejection will be a blow to Salem's dreams of entering the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
Prison superintendent, who has been charged with torturing the underworld don, reveals the perks and privileges the gangster enjoyed behind bars.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking its permission to drop certain charges against gangster Abu Salem under TADA and Explosive Substances Act in view of its commitment to Portuguese government at the time of his extradition that he shall not be awarded death penalty or detained in custody for more than 25 years if found guilty.
The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed police to drop stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act charges from an extortion case against gangster Abu Salem, the order for whose extradition to India has been quashed by the Portuguese supreme court allegedly owing to non-observance of extradition terms in New Delhi.
The government is likely to withdraw all additional charges against underworld don Abu Salem and inform Portuguese authorities about the same, official sources said on Wednesday.
The CBI, India's nodal agency for extradition cases, has moved Portugal's Constitutional Court against the Supreme Court's recent ruling confirming the decision to terminate the extradition of Salem in 2005 to face trial in various cases.
The lawyer submitted that even though the TADA court had held that it was not bound by the assurances of the government, the top court has the power to decide the issue.
Extradited gangster Abu Salem, who was on Saturday taken to J J Hospital for a routine check up, has denied that there was any threat to his life. The state government and the Central Bureau of Investigation have stated that Salem's life was in danger and thus he should not be brought out of the Arthur Road jail premises. He told the media outside the hospital that there is no threat to his life and restraining him inside the jail was just the CBI's manner to delay his trial.
A TADA court on Tuesday directed the Thane police commissioner to conduct an inquiry after a media report claimed gangster Abu Salem, an accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, had married on a train while being escorted by police to Lucknow for a court hearing.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had initially demanded the death penalty
The Bombay high court on Thursday issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation, seeking reply to a petition filed by extradited gangster Abu Salem, which expresses fear that he would be killed or implicated in a false case by the Indian authorities.
It was alleged that Salem had demanded Rs 5 crore as protection money from businessman Ashok Gupta, a resident of Greater Kailash in south Delhi, in 2002.
One accused was acquitted by the court.
Gangster Abu Salem is set to contest next year's elections to the Uttar Pradesh assembly from Mubarakpur constituency as an independent and has applied for the inclusion of his name in the state voters' list, his lawyer said on Friday.
A day after gangster Abu Salem was shot at in Taloja jail, four security personnel were suspended on Friday pending a high-level probe even as his lawyer is planning to move Portuguese authorities for his repatriation. An attempt to murder case was also registered against his assailant Devendra Jagtap alias JD.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted two weeks to the Centre to analyse a Portugal court's order -- terminating the extradition of Abu Salem to India -- and spell out its proposed action against the alleged gangster. A bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam granted the time after Attorney General G E Vahanwati submitted that the government needs time to go through the judgment as the order is in Portuguese language and has to be first translated in English.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday deferred to December 20 the hearing on a plea by the city police seeking withdrawal of charges under stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against alleged gangster Abu Salem as it violated provisions of the extradition agreement with Portugal.
The government is bound by the assurance given by the then deputy prime minister L K Advani to the Portugal government that the maximum sentence handed out to gangster Abu Salem will not exceed 25 years, the Union home secretary has told the Supreme Court.
The 3rd special court Judge for CBI cases, M V Ramana Naidu had on November 18 held the underworld don guilty under different sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for obtaining a passport under a fictitious name and address, from Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
The Supreme Court on Thursday took strong exception of an affidavit filed by the Union home secretary on a plea by gangster Abu Salem, challenging his life imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, and said it is an "attempt to lecture the judiciary".
F1 champion Max Verstappen revelled in McLaren's strategy horror show at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.
Extradited gangster Abu Salem Tuesday retracted his confessional statement made in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.
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