CBI denies Salem's allegation of confessing under duress

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Mumbai, Mar 14 (UNI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here today denied that the confessional statement by extradited gangster Abu Salem was made under duress.

Filing a reply before TADA Judge P D Kode, CBI held that the allegations levelled by Salem against the probing agency are ''baseless.'' The court was told that Salem, while in CBI custody, had voluntarily expressed his desire to make a confessional statement.

It was recorded by DIG (CBI) O P Chatwal under section 15 of the TADA Act, the investigating agency said in its reply.

CBI also said that the confession was recorded as per the say of the accused 'truthfully' and after recording, it was immediately forwarded to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM). Following this, Salem was produced before the CMM on November 20 last year and then he had not made any complaint about the confessional statement.

CBI further said that after recording the statement, Salem was also produced before the TADA court on several occasions, but he did not complain that the same was recorded under pressure and described the gangster's plea as an ''after-thought.'' Earlier, on March 9, Judge Kode had directed the CBI to file its reply by today, after Salem had retracted his confessional statement.

Salem, in his confessional statement before the CBI officials, had earlier stated that he had delivered the weapons (AK-57 assault rifles and hand grenades) to Bollywood actor and blast accused Sanjay Dutt at his Bandra residence, prior to the serial blasts which rocked the metropolis on March 12, 1993.

The gangster had also admitted to taking active part in hatching the conspiracy of blasts, besides distributing the arms and ammunition to the co-accused.

UNI XR-GK KD VD PM1547

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