Bombay HC raps police over probe in Salem-Dossa assault case

Mumbai, Feb 7 (PTI) The Bombay High Court todayslammed the police for conducting "one sided" investigationinto the case of assault involving gangsters Abu Salem andMustafa Dossa inside Arthur Road Jail here last year.

The court directed the police to forward Dossa''scomplaint against Salem to the Crime Branch.

"If Salem''s complaint was handed over to the CrimeBranch why was Dossa''s cross-complaint not given to them? Whyis the police taking one side?" a Division Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and A R Joshi remarked.

The HC was hearing a petition filed by Dossa, who hasaccused the police of being biased against him. Dossa, anaccused in the 1993 serial blasts, alleged that the police hadrefused to register his complaint against Salem.

The HC directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police(DCP) concerned to forward Dossa''s complaint, in which he hasaccused Salem of assaulting him, also to Crime Branch.

The court had, on the last hearing, asked the DCP tofile a reply on whether or not an FIR would be registered onDossa''s complaint.

The DCP today told the court that since the case isbeing investigated by the Crime Branch, the local police doesnot want to take cognisance of Dossa''s plaint.

On July 24, Dossa had allegedly attacked underworlddon Salem with a sharp spoon inside the high security prisonin central Mumbai. Salem, extradited from Portugal in 2005,had suffered injuries on his face and hand.

Following the altercation, Salem, also an accused inthe serial blasts, was shifted to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai,while Dossa was moved to Thane central prison.