Murder case involving Salem to be heard on June 23

Bhopal, June 13 (UNI) The next hearing in a five-year-old murder case, involving extradited underworld don Abu Salem, has been fixed on June 23.

Earlier, the hearing in the case was scheduled to be heard on June 11. However, the hearing could not take place as Special Judge Anurag Srivastava was on leave.

According to advocates associated with the case, the court had not issued production warrant against Salem.

In June 2002, bullet-ridden corpses of Salem's two shooters -- Akbar and Nafis -- had been found. After investigation, a criminal case was registered against seven people, including Salem, and Ishtayak Sadiq and Chandraprakash Rai were arrested.

Legal action against Salem would be taken after deciding whether the criminal case was also formed as a part of the cases listed for his extradition from Portugal.

Police sources said Salem had sent the shooters to eliminate old friend Siraj, with whom Salem had developed differences.

However, the duo joined Siraj and Salem got them killed.

In a separate case in a Bhopal court, Salem, his actress-girlfriend Monica Bedi and wife Samira Jumani stand accused in a fake passport case.

Siraj was also an accused in the fake passport case. However, he turned into an approver. Monica is at present lodged in a jail in Bhopal.

UNI