Abu Salem gets lifer, 2 others get death

Mumbai: Noted gangster Abu Salem was Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by a special TADA court in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. The quantum of punishment for Abu Salem was announced 24 years after a series of 13 blasts rocked the country's financial capital, Mumbai, killing 257 people and injuring 713 others. The court awarded death sentences to Firoz Khan and Tahir 'Taklya' Merchant, life terms to Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan, and a 10-year jail term to Riyaz Siddiqui.

Thirty accused, including the alleged masterminds - underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon, are still absconding.

On Thursday, Special TADA Judge G.A. Sanap awarded punishment under various sections of the TADA, Indian Penal Code, Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act and Destruction of Public Property Act. The court also set off the sentence of the accused against the jail terms they had already served, but clarified that Salem's term would be set off from the date of his arrest in India, and not keeping in mind the punishment he had undergone in Portugal.

However, some legal experts opine that despite being held guilty of conspiracy under the stringent TADA, Salem managed to escape the noose while co-conspirators Tahir Merchant and Feroze Khan were given death penalty.

The answer lies in the extradition treaty signed between India and Portugal.

Retired CBI DIG, O.P. Chhatwal, who had investigated the case said, “As per law Abu Salem could not have been awarded death sentence because death penalty has been abolished in Portugal.”

Also, India had assured Portugal, which extradited Abu Salem in 2005 that he will not get a jail term above 25 years.