Abu Salem gets bail after a cosy jail term in UAE

MUMBAI, DEC1: The prime accused in the music baron Gulshan Kumar’s killing, Dubai-based ganglord Abu Salem has been released on bail by the Dubai police last week.Salem was arrested by the Al-Rafa police of the United Arab Emirates in the first week of September and since had been under detention. The don was charged with failing to honour a cheque of about 11 million Dirhams which he had reportedly issued to one Salim Arabi. However, the charge was a ploy to scuttle his extradition as the Mumbai police had requested the UAE to deport Salem considering him to be the key conspirator in Gulshan’s killing.

Initially, the UAE authorities dilly-dallied saying that the Abu Salem was a not a UAE resident. It was then realised that Salem was living with an assumed identity of Aqueel Azmi. Subsequently, the Indian agencies stepped up their efforts for his deportation, however, the mafia thwarted the extradition by making Arabi lodge a false complaint.

However, when the Indian agencies laid bare the mafia’s designs, the Dubai-based gangsters managed to get another charge of molestation slapped against Salem. And after a three months, Salem was released on a surety of one million Dirham last week.The Mumbai police is still in the dark about his release though. When contacted, the joint commissioner of police, crime, Ranjit Singh Sharma maintained that Salem was still in custody.