Gangster Abu Salem, who survived a bid on his life in Navi Mumbai’s Taloja Jail last month, on Monday moved the special Tada court seeking directions to the jail authorities for shifting him to the Portugal Embassy in Goa or Delhi.
“The applicant (Salem) may be transferred to the Portugal Embassy till the final decision is reached on the issue of his repatriation back to Portugal post termination of extradition order in the interest of justice,” reads the application filed by his advocate Rashid Ansari.
In the application, Salem has also said that he feels unsafe in any other jail and pleaded not to be transferred to any other jail “in the interest of justice since the risk to his life is on a higher scale in other jails”.
Salem said officials of the Taloja Jail had received an order to transfer him to the Thane prison. According to Salem, he has made several applications stating that he faces death threats in other jails from 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast accused Mustafa Dossa, fugitive underworld don Chhota Shakeel and others. “Though he was attacked in the Taloja Jail, now the security is beefed up hence there are little chances of any further attacks on his life, whereas the chances are high in other jails,” the application says.
The application will be heard by the special Tada court later this week.
Salem, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal battle. The Supreme Court of Portugal had last year dismissed an appeal of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging termination of his extradition to India.
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73 govt school students in buldana dist hospitalised
Akola: Seventy-three students of a government-run residential school for girls in the Buldana district of the state have been hospitalised for suspected food poisoning. The girls started complaining of stomach pain and vomiting after eating their meals last night, the police said. Two of them were said to be in a serious condition.
The school, situated on Gaulkhed Road, is run by Maharashtra social welfare and social justice department where about 230 girl students, from Class 5 to 9, live and study.
Nikita More (from Lohara village) and Pranali Fundkar (from Andura) were in a serious condition, they said, adding that the two have been shifted to the civil hospital. Private doctors extended help as the staff doctors alone could not cope with so many cases. Even tehsildar Rameshwar Puri, who is a qualified doctor, helped, the police said.
Local MLC and senior BJP leader Pandurang Fundkar demanded a high-level inquiry and immediate suspension of officials responsible.
—PTI