Pursuant to the Bombay high court order, extradited gangster Abu Salem has moved the Supreme Court for clubbing of his trial with the rest of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
The high court had allowed him to withdraw his petition challenging separation of his trial from that of the rest of the accused and framing of charges against him in the same case.
Observing that Salem had raised some important question of law, the high court had said that it would be appropriate for him to approach the apex court in this regard.
His lawyer had challenged separation of trial in 1993 blasts case, saying that according to the extradition treaty between Portugal and India, Salem was to be tried only for certain specified cases, and separating his case from rest of accused in the case amounted to starting a new case against him, which violated the treaty.
The framing of charges against Salem in the 1993 blasts case was challenged on the ground that charges were framed after interrogating him, while extradition treaty contemplated only trial and not fresh interrogation.
The Central Bureau of Investigation had objected to Salem's coming to high court, stating that as per Terrrorist And Disruptive Activities Act, all appeals would lie directly in the Supreme Court.