Sunday, November 13 2005 18:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Abu Salem's lawyer today (Nov 13, 2005) denied that the underworld don had confessed his involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai.

"We have already filed an application that Abu Salem does not want to make any confession. So there is no question of it," O A Siddique told NDTV news channel over phone shortly after a senior CBI official told a press conference in Mumbai that Salem has 'admitted his role' in carrying out the bomb blasts that had claimed 257 lives and left more than 700 injured.

When asked whether Salem would cooperate with CBI investigations, his lawyer said, "he has to cooperate with the investigation, but the question of confession stands on a different footing".

"But, I want to know who is the CBI official who told reporters that Salem has given a confessional statement," he said adding that a court has stated that that no interview should be given to media in this regard.

The CBI official had said in Mumbai, "Salem has accepted that his role was that of supplier of arms and ammunition".