Having prima facie found two security breaches leading to the attack on extradited underworld gangster Abu Salem inside Taloja central jail on Thursday night, the Maharashtra jail administration on Friday suspended four security personnel responsible for the incident, even as his lawyers indicated that they would move the Portuguese authorities for his repatriation to lisbon.
Identifying the four suspended security personnel as jailor Sanjay Sable and constables Chandrakant Pathare, Nitin Sawant and Gitesh Randhive, a senior jail official said that the local police had registered an attempt to murder case against a fellow inmate Devendra Jagtap alias JD for allegedly shooting at and injuring Salem inside the Taloja prison on Thursday night.
Salem (44), an accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, sustained bullet wounds on his right hand when Jagtap — a former aide of deceased gangster Bharat Nepali and accused in the advocate Shahid Azmi murder case — shot at him from a country-made revolver. Jagtap reportedly fired twice, while one of the bullets hit Salem.
The injured Salem was initially rushed to a civic hospital at Navi Mumbai, from where he was taken to the State-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai, in the early hours of Friday. However, Salem — whose injuries were reportedly of the minor nature, was later moved back to the Taloja central jail apparently for security reasons.
While the motive behind the attack on Salem has not been established so far, it is not clear as yet as alleged assailant Jagtap managed to smuggle in the country-made revolver inside the high-security Taloja central prison, where the extradited gangster has been lodged for nearly three years now.
Confirming the suspension of four security personnel, including jailor Sable, in connection with the attack on Salem, Additional Director General (Prisons) Meeran Borwankar told mediapersons: “Preliminary investigations have established that there were two security breaches in the Taloja jail set-up, leading to the incident. Four security personnel, including an officer, have been suspended”.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil announced that Borwankar would hold an inquiry into the incident and the officials found responsible for the lapse would face action, including dismissal from service. “Responsibility for the incident will be fixed and stringent action, including dismissal from service, will be taken against those found guilty,” Patil said.
Salem was extradited to India along with his girlfriend Monica Bedi on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal process in Portugal lasting for three years.
Apart from the 1993 serial bomb blasts and Pradeep Jain murder cases, Salem is also an accused in seven other cases registered in India. He was initially lodged at the Arthur Road Prison.
Thursday’s was the second attack on Salem. Earlier, he had been attacked by a D-company gangster Mustafa Majnu Dossa in barrack number 10 of the Arthur Road Prison in Mumbai on July 24, 2010. Following the attack on him, Salem was shifted to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Salem’s lawyer Saba Qureshi upped the ante by saying that she and fellow defence lawyers would take up the matter with the Portuguese authorities, seeking the extradited gangster’s repatriation to lisbon.
“One of the conditions laid down for Abu Salem’s extradition was that he would be protected. This condition stands violated as he has been attacked inside the jail. Hence, we plan to seek intervention of authorities in Portugal to have Salem repatriated,” Qureshi said.