Abu Salem
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Abu Salem | |
---|---|
Born | Abu Salem Abdul Qayoom Ansari 1962 (age 61–62) |
Nationality | Indian[2] |
Other names | Aqil Ahmed Azmi, Captain, Abu Samaan |
Citizenship | India |
Occupation | Leader of organized crime |
Criminal status | In prison |
Spouses | |
Conviction(s) | Murder of builder Pradeep Jain
1993 Bombay Bombings[1] |
Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment[2] |
Abu Salem (/ˈɑːbuː sɑːˈlɛm/ ⓘ AH-boo sah-LEM; born Abu Salem Abdul Qayoom Ansari), also known as Aqil Ahmed Azmi and Abu Samaan, is an Indian criminal gangster and terrorist[4] from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh, Central India. Abu Salem worked in the D-Company (Dawood Ibrahim gang) as a driver transporting artillery and contraband. Later he rose among the ranks after he introduced a new strategy of hiring unemployed youths from his hometown Azamgarh to come to Mumbai, execute shoot-outs and return the next day remaining untraced by the Mumbai police. He is currently serving a life sentence in India.
Salem is infamous for terrorizing the Bollywood film industry by extorting money from film producers and usurping the overseas distribution rights. It is believed that Salem was the mastermind behind threatening Bollywood film producers Gulshan Kumar, Subhash Ghai, Rajiv Rai and Rakesh Roshan. While his gang members assassinated Gulshan Kumar in 1997, they failed in their attempt to assassinate Rajiv Rai and Rakesh Roshan. He was also involved in several murders and extortion, among other crimes. He was later arrested in 2002 in Portugal on charges of using a fake passport and extradited to India. He was tried and convicted in some cases and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015.[5]
Early life
Abu Salem was born in 1969 (according to the
Involvement in organized crime
In the 1980s, he started working for his cousin Akthar who had a cheap electronics shop near Andheri railway station. Akhtar also worked for Sayyed Topi, a Dawood Ibrahim gang leader in the Andheri area. Later Abu Salem started a travel agency at Santa Cruz with J K Ibrahim who worked for the Dawood gang.[7] From 1989 to 1993, Salem worked as a driver for the D-Company (Dawood Ibrahim gang) and he delivered weapons, illegal cash and goods to different gang members in Bombay. His proficiency at delivering goods at the right time and place earned him the nickname Abu Samaan. In 1992, he supplied weapons to film actor Sanjay Dutt. He played an active role in March 1993 Bombay serial bomb blasts which killed over 250 people, left 700 injured and damaged property worth Rs 270 million. In 1993, he left the country and moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates when the police started rounding up suspects in serial blasts case. He had a business establishment there called Kings of Car Trading.
In the mid-nineties, many sharp shooters from D-company were killed either by the Chhota Rajan gang or in police encounters. Salem successfully introduced a new strategy of hiring unemployed Muslim youths from his hometown Azamgarh to come to Mumbai, carry off the shooting and return to Azamgarh the next day. Those youths were paid a paltry sum compared to sharp shooters and the Mumbai police also could not track them as the youths had no criminal record with the Bombay police. Soon Abu Salem got the support of Anees Ibrahim (Dawood's brother) and he rose to prominence within the gang. Because of his smooth talking skills, Salem was given the responsibility to manage the Bollywood deals and film financing for Dawood.
He organised stage shows where he invited actors. He was involved in extorting from the Hindi film industry, channelling illicit money into film production, forcibly getting the dates of stars, and usurping overseas rights. Salem first worked under Chhota Shakeel but later split and took to threatening film personalities for extortion.[8] In mid-1997, reportedly went to Pakistan to make arrangements for the marriage of Dawood's brother Humayun. Salem is believed to be the mastermind behind the murder of music baron Gulshan Kumar on 12 August 1997 without Dawood's consent.
His gang members also attempted to shoot at Bollywood film directors,
Arrest, extradition and trial
He was convicted for the
On 20 September 2002, he was arrested along with
In March 2006, a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court filed eight charges against him and his alleged associate Riaz Siddiqui for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. He stands accused of ferrying and distributing weapons.
A lower court in Portugal cancelled his extradition to India for violation of deportation rules by Indian authorities by instituting fresh cases against him that attracted the death penalty. In July 2012, the Portuguese Supreme Court of Justice questioned the legal right of Indian authorities to challenge the cancellation of extradition order.
On 27 June 2013, Salem was shot by Devendra Jagtap, an accused person in the Shahid Azmi murder case inside Taloja Central Jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, the police said. Salem sustained injury to his hand as Jagtap fired one round.
Abu Salem was convicted in Pradeep Jain murder case on 16 February 2015. Jain, a city-based builder, was shot dead outside his Juhu bungalow on 7 March 1995. Nameem Khan, an accused in the case had turned approver. Riyaz Siddiqui, another accused in the case had turned approver then retracted and is being tried separately.[11] He was sentenced life imprisonment in Pradeep Jain murder case on 25 February 2015.[12]
Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, and 4 others were convicted by a Special CBI court in Mumbai on 16 June 2017 in connection with the 1993 Bombay blasts case. Salem is currently lodged in Mumbai's
In 2010, a violent clash broke out between the gangster Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa, which let to Salem's face being slashed with a sharpened spoon.[14]
On 7 June 2018, A Delhi court held him guilty for extorting Delhi businessman Ashok Gupta and sentenced him to seven years in prison. In 2002, Salem called Gupta asking him to call a number in Dubai. Salem had threatened Gupta and his family.[15]
Music Debut
In August 2013, Punjabi singer Sukhwinder Singh Maan alias Sukha Delhi wala revealed that he would release a song composed by Abu Salem while lodged in Tihar Jail, in his next Music Album. The Music Album shall also feature many other celebrities like Rahul Mahajan and Vindu Dara Singh.[16]
Net worth
Abu Salem is said to be a billionaire gangster worth Rs. 55 billion (Approx $0.67 billion).[17] His cash and property have been valued at least Rs 10 billion, which is divided between him and his wife, Samira Jumani. While Salem stakes a claim to Rs 2 billion, his wife possess Rs 8 billion in cash and property. Salem's investments in Bollywood and hawala rackets are estimated to be at least another Rs 30 billion. The CBI arrived at the figures on the basis of one-years transactions (2000–2001), and are said to be a conservative estimate.[18]
Salem possessed a non-immigrant work visa in the US, where he was employed as a maintenance manager for a marine engineering company. As he operated under different names, he could buy property worth crores, despite his employment background. Preliminary calculations by the CBI reveal transactions worth Rs 2 billion were carried out by Salem in the year 2000 itself. Details of his earlier transactions were not known as his whereabouts are not known. Police sources say that his anonymous but legal businesses in the Middle East are run by his close associates.[18]
Personal life
He married Samira Jumani, a 17-year-old college girl, in 1991[19] with whom he has a son. Samira currently lives in Duluth, Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. Post Salem's arrest in Portugal, she told interviewers that he was a "violent psychotic man" and she was forced into marriage.[20][21]
In September 2002, Abu Salem and his partner Monica Bedi, were arrested and later served prison sentences in Portugal[22] for entering the country on forged documents.[23] In 2006, an Indian Court convicted Bedi for procuring a passport on a fictitious name.[24] In November 2010, the Supreme Court of India upheld her conviction but reduced the prison sentence to the period that she had already served.[25]
References
- ^ "1993 Mumbai serial blasts: Abu Salem, five others convicted". 16 June 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ a b "India gangster Abu Salem jailed for life for 20-year-old murder". BBC News. 25 February 2015.
- ^ "I am happy for him, says Abu Salem's ex-partner Monica Bedi on his impending marriage". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ "1993 Mumbai serial blasts case: Here's a look at the deadly role played by the 6 convicts", DNA News, 7 September 2017.
- ^ "mumbainews.info". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
- ^ "BEYOND ABU". indianexpress.com. 24 August 2008.
- ^ a b "Life and crimes of Abu Salem – Deccan Herald – Internet Edition". deccanherald.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011.
- ^ "Express India". Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "Salem splits from the D-Company". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017.
- ^ "From errand boy to dreaded don". dna. 11 November 2005. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
- ^ "Portugal court questions India's locus standi in Salem extradition case". The Times of India. 11 July 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013.
- ^ India (25 February 2015). "Gangster Abu Salem sentenced to life in Pradeep Jain murder case". The Indian Express. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Abu Salem Sentenced To Life". Amar Ujala. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
- ^ "Explained: What's inside Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, and why does it have such a reputation?". The Indian Express. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Seven-year jail term for Abu Salem". The Hindu. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- ^ "Song composed by Abu Salem to release in a Music Album". Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "டோடோவின் ரஃப் நோட்டு". Archived from the original on 23 December 2005.
- ^ a b "You are here: Home > News >". mid-day.com.
- ^ "I didn t live with him a single married minute: Salem s wife". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. 19 November 2005. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005.
- ^ "Indiantelevision.com > News Releases > Abu Salem's first wife speaks out in Star News exclusive". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- ^ "I didn' t live with him a single married minute: Salem s wife". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. 19 November 2005. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005.
- ^ Kumar, Vinay (29 November 2003). "Abu Salem, Monica Bedi sentenced to jail in Portugal". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 December 2003. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ "Monica Bedi writes pardon letter to PM". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 7 November 2004. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ "Monica Bedi lives tough life in jail". CNN-IBN. 1 October 2005. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ "Fake Passport Case: SC Upholds Bedi's Conviction". Outlook. 9 November 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
External links
- "Abu Salem arrested in Lisbon" – rediff.com article dated 20 September 2002
- India's Dreaded Gangster
- Abu Salem Captured
- "Abu Salem: A dossier" – rediff.com article dated 21 February 2005