Thursday, November 24 2005 15:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: A designated TADA court today (Nov 24, 2005) allowed Mumbai police to seek the custody of extradited gangster Abu Salem in a 1997 case of murder of real estate developer Pradeep Jain.

At present Salem is in judicial custody of TADA court hearing the 1993 bomb blast case after CBI said it did not need his custody for the time being. As he is wanted in Pradeep Jain murder case, Mumbai police has sought his custody after securing production warrant against Salem in that case.

Hearing a plea of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Mumbai police, TADA Judge P D Kode allowed Mumbai police to produce the accused before another court in the Pradeep Jain murder case.

However, the judge asked the city police to take steps for remanding Salem back to judicial custody in the 1993 bomb blast case after the expiry of custody in Jain murder case.

Salem's lawyers expressed apprehension over the safety of Salem in the sessions court complex where he would be produced in the Jain murder case, but prosecutor Rohini Salian assured that police would provide security cover to the accused.

The prosecutor also assured the court on behalf of ATS that Salem would be produced before the TADA court in the 1993 bomb blast case whenever required.

On going through the remand papers yesterday, the court also expressed concern over Salem's security saying apparently there were threats to his life.

Mumbai police had yesterday secured production warrant against Salem in Pradeep Jain murder case. The warrant was executed today and Salem would be produced before judge P V Bavkar during the day.