Court to examine Salem on Feb 18 in fake passport case

Hyderabad, Feb 7 (PTI) The Special CBI Courtconducting trial into the fake passport case involvingunderworld don Abu Salem today fixed February 18 for hisexamination.

As the Mumbai Police did not produce Salem in thecourt, the court adjourned the case to February 18 forexamination of the gangster under CrPC Section 313 (power toexamine accused).

Under Section 313, the court would question theaccused on basis of evidences given by the witnesses. Thecourt has examined 39 witnesses produced by CBI, whichinvestigated the 10-year-old case.

The trial against Salem for obtaining passport in afictitious name in 2001 from Kurnool district of AndhraPradesh began here in 2009.

Salem, extradited from Portugal in 2005, is anaccused, among other cases, in the 1993 Mumbai serial bombblasts. He is currently lodged in a jail near Mumbai.