Bhopal court remands Salem to police custody

Bhopal, Nov 13 (UNI) A local court today remanded underworld don Abu Salem to police custody until November 20 on the charge of having a fake passport made.

Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Shrivastava resumed the hearing this afternoon and issued the remand order thereby accepting Crime Branch Deputy Superintendent of Police Nimisha Pande's plea in this regard.

After a defence plea was rejected, Public Prosecutor K S Kansana sought permission for Salem's arrest under sections 419, 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code and the Passports Act. Salem, who was lodged at Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, was brought here today through execution of a production warrant.

This morning, Defence Counsel P C Bedi challenged the hearing by stating that extradition rules did not permit a hearing against his client here. Salem was extradited from Portugal. Mr Kansana responded by presenting the photocopy of a Portugal court order rejecting Salem's plea to disallow hearings against him in India.

The hearing was deferred to 1500 hrs on the public prosecutor's request for time.

Salem was taken straight to court from the railway station amid tight security.

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