A designated Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (prevention) Act court Tuesday asked the superintendent of Mumbai's Arthur Road prison to file a report on news stories alleging that extradited gangster Abu Salem had thrown a party in the prison on November 24 when he was sent to judicial custody.
Taking a suo-motu cognizance of reports in various newspapers about the alleged party, special TADA judge, P D Kode, hearing the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, asked Salem's lawyer if the allegations were true. Salem's lawyer Harjot Singh denied knowledge of any such party.
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Meanwhile, the judge also asked the prosecution to find out the truth in behind the news reports, while asking the jail officials to file an affidavit in this regard.
The reports published in many newspapers alleged as soon as Salem entered the Arthur Road jail on November 23, he hosted a party for his supporters and other associates already lodged inside.
The reports, mostly appearing in vernacular dailies, gave vivid details of the huge cake and hotel food ordered for the party, besides the flow of imported alcohol for the jail inmates. Jail authorities had denied that there was such a party.