Maharashtra Prisons Department wants Abu Salem to be shifted to Thane jail

Gangster Abu Salem will be moved to a special cell in Thane jail following an attack on him inside Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, authorities told a court today. An affidavit filed by the Maharashtra Prisons Department in the court of special TADA judge G A Sanap said, "To avoid any untoward incident and to maintain security of the prison, undertrial prisoner Abu Salem has to be transferred to Thane Jail."

On June 27, Salem, currently in Taloja jail, was shot at by gangster Devendra Jagtap alias JD, an accused in the murder of advocate Shahid Azmi who had represented an 26/11 Mumbai attack accused.

Salem was hit in his hand by one of the two bullets.

Following the incident, Salem had filed an application before the special court saying that he should be moved to the Portugal Embassy of Goa or Delhi as he feels unsafe in any other jail.

Salem, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal battle.

In the affidavit, the jail authorities also said that Taloja jail has members of other gangs, those accused in blast cases, members of Indian Mujahidin and accused in Sohrabuddin encounter case, among other. Therefore, there would be threat to his life in Taloja jail.

The application is likely to come up of hearing next week.

Meanwhile, Salem has also moved an application seeking to drop certain charges including that of criminal conspiracy against him saying that they are in violation of the extradition treaty. The application will be heard later in the week.

Earlier this month, the special TADA court allowed the CBI to drop certain charges against Salem in connection with the 1993 serial bomb blast case.