Defence argument in Salem case concluded

Mumbai, Apr 13 (UNI) The argument of defence counsel to club the extradited gangster Abu Salem's trial with the trial of Bollywood cine star Sanjay Dutt and 126 other serial bomb blast accused concluded here today.

Arguing before designated TADA Judge P D Kode, who is trying the 1993 serial bomb blast case, a battery of defence lawyers comprising Advocates Nitin Pradhan, Shubida Khot and P Tiwari strongly opposed the CBI plea to separate Salem and his associate Riyaz Siddiqui's trial on the grounds that while the don was extradited from Portugal, the Indian government had entered into an agreement with the Portugese government and given an assurance that Salem would be tried along with the other accused.

The defence counsels were making submission in response to a CBI plea seeking court's nod to separate the trial of Salem and Siddiqui and the trial of 126 other accused, which had already been completed and the court was all set to deliver its verdict.

The CBI told the court that by joining the Salem and Siddiqui trial with the other accused's trial, which has already completed, will delay in the verdict.

Meanwhile, the court has adjourned the further hearing to April 28 after the central investigating agency sought more time to put forward its case through senior lawyer N Natrajan.

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