CBI submits draft charges against Salem

Actor Sanjay Dutt also appeared before the court along with the 86 accused in keeping with a judicial order to that effect.

The CBI on Tuesday submitted to the TADA court a draft of charges to be framed against extradited gangster Abu Salem and his accomplice Riaz Siddiqui for their alleged role in supplying arms to the co-accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case.

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Actor Sanjay Dutt also appeared before the court along with the 86 accused in keeping with a judicial order to that effect. Salem and Siddiqui were brought to the court amidst tight security.

The draft of the proposed charges was submitted to the designated Judge PD Kode, who decided to hear argument of the CBI and the accused before framing charges.

CBI had filed supplementary chargesheet against Salem early this month. Salem is alleged to have supplied arms and ammunition, to the co-accused including Sanjay Dutt prior to the Mumbai blasts.

Salem had earlier confessed to this effect but later retracted his version saying he was not aware whether the consignment taken to the actor's residence contained arms.

Sanjay also denied the allegations of receiving arms. Witnesses have also not supported the prosecution.

CBI alleged that Salem had delivered arms to co-accused in pursuance to a conspiracy hatched by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees to carry out bomb blasts in Mumbai.

A series of 13 explosions rocked the city on March 12, 1993 killing 256 persons and injuring another 713.