Government moves HC against court's order stopping Salem's transfer to Mumbai

Maharashtra government has filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court against an order of special TADA court here which reversed the Director General of Prisons Meera Borwankar's order to shift the gangster Abu Salem from Taloja prison to Thane prison.

The appeal came up on Wednesday before a division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai which said it would hear it on February 23. Salem, who was deported from Portugal in 2005, has also been asked to file an affidavit stating his stand.

Borwankar had recently transferred Salem from Taloja to Thane. She relied on a letter by Portuguese government and also on a report of special investigation team of the police, both of which said there was a threat to his life.
Salem, however, applied to the TADA court, opposing the transfer from Taloja prison, saying that the threat to his life was greater in other prisons.

His lawyer pointed out that the transfer order was passed without the court's permission. As Salem was in judicial custody in the builder Pradeep Jain murder case, the TADA court passed an order reversing the transfer order.
Salem faced threat from a fellow 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Mustafa Dossa and fugitive gangster Chotta Shakeel, his lawyer had said.

An inmate of Taloja jail had shot Salem a few months ago but he escaped with a minor injury to hand. He was convicted by the TADA court in the Jain murder case two days ago.