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'Abu Salem faces threat to life from Dawood'
Mumbai Police fear assassination attempts on underworld don Abu Salem - now in their custody for trials in several cases - from his one-time boss and India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ebrahim and the don's brother Anees.
- IANS
- Published: 00:07 May 1, 2008
Mumbai: Mumbai Police fear assassination attempts on underworld don Abu Salem - now in their custody for trials in several cases - from his one-time boss and India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ebrahim and the don's brother Anees.
The police have informed the Bombay High Court that the threat looms when Abu Salem is being escorted to the courts from the high security Arthur Road Jail. The police also cautioned that "public peace may be disturbed" if Abu Salem is killed during transit from jail to the court and back.
Among other cases, Abu Salem is also an accused in the March 12, 1993, Mumbai serial bomb blasts in which Dawood is the prime accused and declared an absconder along with Tiger Memon and some of his relatives.
One of the high-profile accused in the case is actor Sanjay Dutt, who was sentenced last year and is currently out on bail.
Tip-off
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) D.T. Shinde, Mumbai police have received a tip-off from reliable sources that Dawood and Anees gangs have tasked their henchmen to eliminate Abu Salem, alias Abdul Qayyoom Ansari, while he is on his way to or from the courts in Mumbai or outside the city.
Shinde made the startling revelation in an affidavit to a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice Bilal Nazki and Ashok Bhangale last week.
Shinde was responding to a criminal writ challenging the order of the Maharashtra home department restraining Salem from being escorted out of the jail.
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