Woman seeks to marry Abu Salem; he says he is ready

Mumbai, June 29: Gangster Abu Salem, who is facing trial in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case here, today stated that he was ready to marry a 26-year old woman who had approached a court here last week seeking permission for marriage.

"I humbly request to kindly consider (her application) and grant us permission to register and perform marriage under Special Marriage Act before the registrar," Salem said in his reply, filed today. [Mumbai: Woman threatens to commit suicide, if not allowed to get married with Gangster Abu Salem]

The woman had approached the special TADA court last week through her lawyer Farhana Shah.

She contended that last year, following a tabloid report that Salem had secretly married her, the police during their probe asked many people about the alleged marriage and also showed a photograph showing Salem with her, which sullied her character.

Since she was not unable to marry anybody else now, she wanted to marry Salem, she said. Salem said in his reply that he wanted to marry her so that she could "meet and answer all the relatives, friends and well-wishers with her head up in the society".

He intended to "compensate" the woman by accepting her proposal, the reply said.

"I also undertake to (take) care of her in all the respects once she gets married to me and...she will not be further defamed as officially she will be my wife," the gangster's application said.

PTI