In an interesting development, Advocate O A Siddique, lawyer for extradited blast accused Abu Salem, Saturday moved an application before the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act court seeking permission to withdraw himself from the case as he has been allegedly threatened by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
TADA Judge P D Kode, however, refused permission to Siddique to withdraw and directed the CBI to file its reply on November 22.
The court also directed the advocate to wait till November 23 when Salem is scheduled to be produced in court on expiry of his CBI remand.
Moving the application, the defence counsel alleged that he was threatened by the CBI that they would get him removed from appearing in the case through the don (Salem) himself.
Advocate Siddique further alleged that one of the Salem lawyers, Ashok Sarogi, was told by CBI that his client would dance to the tune of the agency and he would say whatever they wanted him to say.
On November 11, when he was produced before the court, Salem was asked whether he wanted a lawyer to defend him, to which the gangster said that he needed three to four days to decide.
Advocate Siddique, who was present in the court, expressed his desire to appear on behalf of the don and said that he was instructed by a lawyer from Lucknow as well as by a foreign lawyer who had appeared for Salem in a Portugal court.
On the court's querry, Advocate Siddique sought permission to seek instruction from Salem and the court allowed his plea following which the accused said he would retain Siddique as his lawyer for one day, the day Salem was produced in the court.
Interestingly, after the gangster's remand to CBI custody, advocate Siddique had moved a few applications before the court, including the one seeking permission for the presence of a lawyer in the interrogation of Salem by the CBI. However, it was turned down by the TADA court.