Thursday, December 15 2005 14:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Mehdi Hasan, a former car driver in Mumbai of extradited gangster Abu Salem, is expected to be arrested today (Dec 15, 2005) by the Anti Terrorist Squad of Mumbai police in connection with the ongoing probe into the 1995 Pradeep Jain murder case.

"Mehdi has also played a role in the Jain murder case, knew the Jain assailants and even took them to the murder spot. He will be arrested anytime now," ATS sources said here.

Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in November this year, is presently in custody of the ATS in connection with the murder, which was allegedly ordered by the extradited gangster from Dubai.

Two more persons, namely, Salem's close aide from Dubai, Naeem Khan, and a frontman in Mumbai, Riyaz Siddiqui were arrested by the ATS last week and are in its custody till January 3.

Siddiqui, a native of Uttar Pradesh, allegedly executed the murder, while Naeem Khan managed finances for the assailants.

Pradeep Jain, a builder from suburban Andheri, shot dead by assailants at his office in March 1995. The murder is suspected to be culmination of a tiff between Jain and Salem over development of a prime piece of land in Andheri.

Jain owned the piece of land, while Salem wanted him to sell it to another builder at a nominal price, but when Jain refused, he was killed, it was alleged.