A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced gangster Abu Salem to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for trying to extort Rs 5 crore from a Delhi businessman in 2002.
Salem is already serving a life term in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and another in the murder of builder Pradeep Jain.
In the latest case — a demand of Rs 5 crore as protection money was made from businessman Ashok Gupta, a resident of
Greater Kailash in
south Delhi, in 2002 — Salem was convicted under sections 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the IPC.
“The convict is not entitled to get any leniency from this court for the purpose of sentence... I award the maximum sentence of rigorous imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 10,000,” special judge Tarun Sahrawat said in his judgment.
Before convicting Salem, the court noted the prosecution submission of his being a hardcore criminal who had previously been involved in several cases of a similar nature. It said that he deserved a severe punishment that not only would be a lesson for him but to others too.
Appearing for Salem, advocate M S Khan had denied the allegations against his client and contended that the trial voolated the order by which the gangster was extradited from
Portugal to India.
Khan had contended that his trial was illegal as the extradition order was terminated by courts in Portugal, from where he was brought to India in 2005.
“He has already remained in judicial custody in this case for over 11 years,” the counsel submitted.
The prosecution counsel submitted that Salem had been involved in many heinous offences and remained a proclaimed offender for long. It was argued that the given nature of the crime, maximum punishment should be awarded.
(With agency inputs)
