Gangster Abu Salem collected Rs 22 lakh from the family of murdered builder Pradeep Jain as 'compensation' for his men who were acquitted by a sessions court in 1997 on the charge of killing Jain, and the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Mumbai Police probing the same case now intends to use this as evidence against the extradited gangster.
Complete Coverage: Abu Salem Extradited
"Although we cannot try Salem for the 1997 case as the extradition conditions prohibit us from doing so, we plan to use the documented evidences in the case against Salem," ATS sources told PTI in Mumbai on Friday.
Salem, who was in Dubai when a sessions court acquitted his men charged in the case, reportedly called up Sunil Jain, brother of Pradeep Jain, within ten minutes after the court delivered judgement and demanded the money. The threat Salem issued, and his fear, compelled the Jains to eventually deliver money," informed ATS sources said.
The gangster had also called up the Jains a few hours before the sessions court delivered its judgement in the case, during which he emphatically told them that his men charged in the case will definitely be acquitted.
ATS sources said that although the Jains paid money to Salem for the 'legal compensation,' they did not hesitate to lodge a complaint with the police in this regard.