Abu Salem asks to be shifted to UP jail again, cites safety issues

After the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (prevention) (TADA)court rejected 1993 Mumbai serial blast convict Abu Salem's plea to move him to a prison outside Maharashtra, he addressed his plea again on Tuesday, this time before the Inspector General (prison) in Pune, Deputy Inspector General of Byculla prison and Superintendent of Taloja jail.

The TADA court had rejected the plea on the grounds that it was infructuous. The convict is of the view that he will be safer in a jail in UP as he has no enemies there.

Salem was held guilty for his role in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai, and sentenced to a life term.

"I don't have enemies in UP and as far as my knowledge goes, I will be safe," was Salem's ground to seek the transfer.

The application requested the authorities to forward his plea to officials in DG Prisons, UP, for their say or for necessary arrangements

Salem, in his application, said, "I was handed over to Union of India by the Portuguese government on September 18, 2002. I was incarcerated in jail in Portugal and then to the government of India since November 12,2005. Till date, there has been no complaint of any misconduct against me. I was sent to Azamgarh thrice, first on October 10,2007, when my mother passed away, then on November 24, 2007 to attend her prayer service, and on February 10,2011, when my foster mother passed away."

The application further lists jails like Tihar, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhopal, and Azamgarh, where the accused has been without any complaints of any misconduct.

"I am a permanent resident of Azamgarh and till date I just have two cases pending against me, one is the revision petition in Pradeep Jain's murder case and second in the appeal which I am going to file," the application said. Through this, he wante to say that he had no other reason to be in Mumbai.