Delhi Police Crime Branch is mulling interrogation of Abu Salem, the underworld don lodged in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, in connection with the extortion and murder executed by his sharpshooter Jaan Usman Khan in the national Capital. Khan was arrested by Crime Branch from Kashmere Gate ISBT on Sunday following a tip-off and recovered a countrymade pistol and live cartridges from his possession. Sources said Khan was still in touch with some existing members of the underworld based abroad.
Sources said that Crime Branch sleuths may question Salem in connection with the murder of financier Hemant Birje, who was gunned down in Vikaspuri when he refused to give protection money in 2010. Khan has been involved at least six cases of extortion and attempt to murder in Delhi and Mumbai, which were all executed at the behest of Salem. He was booked in an extortion bid in Uttam Nagar and Kalyanpuri as well.
Salem, who was arrested in 2002 in Portugal, was extradited to India in 2005 to face trial in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case on the assurance by the Indian Government that the death penalty would not be given. He is currently imprisoned in Mumbai’s high-security Arthur Road Jail.
Police said Khan (35) had gone to Mumbai in 1996 where one Waseem, a sharpshooter of Abu Salem gang and accused of murdering owner of T-Series and film producer Gulshan Kumar, introduced him to Abu Salem and he joined his gang. Salem later introduced him to one Aftab Bhatki, who was running Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) racket from Dubai and Karachi. He was arrested and got bail soon. He came back to Delhi and started extorting businessmen and financiers. “He was involved in an attack on NITCO chairman in Gulmohar Park but his name could not be unearthed. Few persons were arrested in connection with this case,” said an officer.
Khan had allegedly given extortion threats to Anil Thadani, who is married to Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon. He was the one who fired upon singer Daler Mehndi and film producer Rakesh Roshan on the directions of Abu Salem for extorting protection money. The sleuths have been working on various leads and information, which they have got during interrogation of Khan. They will write to the higher authorities and seek legal opinion as well for questioning Salem.
Salem himself faced an attack when he was shot at by Devendra Jagtap, an accused in the advocate Shahid Azmi murder case inside Taloja Central Jail in Maharashtra. Jagtap is reportedly the member of Chhota Rajan gang.