Extradited gangster Abu Salem on Tuesday asked a TADA court to conduct his trial jointly with other 123 co-accused, including Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 bomb blast case.
Opposing the CBI plea to separate his trial from that of 123 co-accused in the 1993 bomb blast case, Salem said if he was not tried jointly with others then prejudice may be caused to him and co-accused.
Salem's lawyer Niteen Pradhan sought time to advance further arguments on the issue and the court deferred the matter to April 12.
In another development, CBI prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam gave a copy of extradition order of Portugual court to Salem and the court disposed of his application seeking such relief.
Seeking an early verdict in the bomb blast case, CBI asked the court to separate the trial of Salem from the main trial on the ground that the judgement had been delayed considerably.
The trial had commenced in 1995 and the judgement was yet to be delivered, CBI submitted in a petition seeking separation of Salem's trial from that of other accused.
Considerable delay had already taken place and the prosecution was not in favour of delaying the trial any further, CBI prosecutors Ujjwal Nikam and Natrajan argued.
Salem countered the argument saying he would prefer to be tried jointly along with co-accused otherwise prejudice may be caused to him and others.
{{/usCountry}}Salem countered the argument saying he would prefer to be tried jointly along with co-accused otherwise prejudice may be caused to him and others.
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