Abu Salem sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in 2002 extortion case

Salem is currently in jail in connection with various other cases, including those related to the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

A Delhi Court on Thursday awarded seven years in jail to gangster Abu Salem in connection with the 2002 extortion case. Salem was on May 26 convicted by the court for demanding Rs 5 crore as protection money from a Delhi-based businessman in 2002. He is also one of the six convicts in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Salem is currently in jail in connection with various other cases, including those related to the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

In the extortion case lodged in Delhi, it was alleged that Salem had demanded Rs 5 crore as protection money from businessman Ashok Gupta, a resident of Greater Kailash in south Delhi, in 2002. The court convicted Salem under Sections 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Salem had earlier claimed that the prosecution did not have enough evidence against him in the case after a fresh warrant was issued against him in February.

Through his lawyer, the gangster had also claimed that his trial in the case violated an order by which he was extradited to India from Portugal in 2005.

In the extortion case, the courty had acquitted the other accused - Chanchal Mehta, Majid Khan, Pawan Kumar Mittal and Mohammad Ashraf - citing lack of evidence against them.

Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in November 2005, was granted bail in the present case in 2013.