A city court on Monday framed charges against extradited underworld don Abu Salem and two others on various counts, including TADA, in builder Pradeep Jain's murder case.
Additional Sessions Judge P V Bavkar charged Abu Salem, Mohammed Hasan Mehdi Hasan and Virendra Jambh under various sections of IPC, Arms Act and TADA for murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, extortion and possession of arms in notified area.
The sections applied on them under the IPC are 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 120 (B) (conspiracy) and 378 (extortion). Salem has also been charged under section 3(3) (criminal conspiracy for terrorist activities), section 5 (possession of arms in specified area) and section 6 (enhanced penalties for intentionally aiding terrorists or disruptive activities) of TADA.
Two other accused in the case, Mohammed Naeem Abdul Rahim Khan and Riyaz Siddique, have turned approvers.
Salem's lawyer Ashok Sarogi told the court his client had not been extradited from Portugal under charges of conspiracy in Jain's murder and therefore he could not be framed on that count now.
However, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam pointed out that under provisions of the Extradition Act, a fugitive criminal could be tried for a lesser offence than the main offence. Salem, currently lodged in a city jail, is also an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.
Jain was murdered in March 1995 allegedly by Salem's hit men after he failed to pay the extortion amount. The murder trial is likely to begin from April 24.
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