Where Else But In India..

Here I am minding my own business. And then I read an article in Rediff..

I am not sure how many of you have heard of Abu Salem. For the benefit of those who have not, here is what Wikipedia says about it. I figure my version of this is not appropriate for publishing. Here goes:

Abu Salem (born 1968) is an underworld don originally from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh, India. He has been accused in the 1993 Bombay serial blasts case and killing of India's music baron Gulshan Kumar 1997. He, at one time was a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim and later fell off when he seemed too-big-for-his-boots. Before becoming a professional criminal, he worked as a driver and a hawker. He is also wanted in India for murder and extortion cases.

On September 20, 2002, he and his companion Monica Bedi were arrested by Interpol in Lisbon, Portugal. His satellite phone was tracked using GPS techology. He has been accused in the 1993 bomb blasts as well as killing of Bollywood producer Gulshan Kumar, Indian actress Manisha Koirala's secretary, a builder and more than 50 other cases.

In February 2004, a Portugal court cleared his extradition to India to face trial in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case. In November 2005, Portuguese authorities handed him over along with Monica Bedi to Indian authorities on the assurance that death penalty would not be meted on him or his partner Monica Bedi.

Abu Salem was born in a lower middle class family. Abu's father was an advocate by profession. Abu could not complete his education after his father died in a road accident. Initially Abu started a small mechanic shop in his home town to support his family. But soon after he moved to Delhi, the capital city of India. In Delhi he worked as a taxi driver. After some time Abu shifted base to Bombay, the financial capital of India. In Bombay he worked again as a driver. It was in Bombay that he met Dawood, the underworld don, and joined his mafia.

In March 2006, a special TADA court framed charges against him and his alleged associate Riaz Siddiqui for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Eight charges were filed against him. He is accused of ferrying and distributing weapons.

Interesting so far.. These are the charges that have been filed against him..

Salem was charged with offences under Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosives Substances Act, Explosives Act, Indian Penal Code and Arms Act, while Siddiqui (his accomplice) was charged with offences under TADA (P) Act and the IPC.

Salem is charged with distributing arms and ammunition to co-accused, including film star Sanjay Dutt, and also with participating in the conspiracy leading to serial blasts in 1993 in Mumbai, in which 256 people were killed and 713 were injured.

Siddiqui is charged with particpating in the conspiracy hatched by absconding accused Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees Ibrahim to execute the blasts in Mumbai. Besides, Siddiqui is also facing charges of providing vehicles to Abu Salem in which arms and ammunition were brought from Bharuch in Gujarat to Mumbai in the second week of Januar 1993.

Charges framed against Salem include section 3 (3) of TADA (P) Act (collecting and distributing arms and ammunition to co-accused), section 5 of TADA (P) Act (possessing firearms and weapons), section 6 of TADA (P) Act (transporting and storing firearms and weapons).
Salem is also charged with offences under section 4 (b) of Explosives Substance Act 1908 (possessing explosives), and section 5 of Explosives Substances Act 1908 (transporting explosives).

In addition to TADA (P) Act and Explosives Substances Act, Salem is also charged with offences under section 25, 3 and 7 of Arms Act 1959 (for possessing and carrying firearms and explosives). Besides, he is charged with offences under section 5 of Explosives Act 1884 (for possessing explosives).

Very Interesting.. now here comes the icing..

Abu Salem to contest UP Assembly elections

Extradited gangster Abu Salem, who is cooling his heels in the central prison in Mumbai, has decided to contest the upcoming UP Assembly elections from the Mubarakpur constituency as an Independent, his lawyer Ashok Sarogi said on Sunday.

Nearly 20,000 posters and banners of the Gandhi topi and kurta clad don have been put up across the Western UP constituency wishing the people for Id and Diwali as part of a "goodwill-cum-sympathy" campaign for the gangster, Sarogi told PTI in Mumbai.

He claimed that the local unit of the Shiv Sena has already announced support for Salem. He said talks were on with some other political parties for support, but he did not name them.
"Star value is very important in Uttar Pradesh. Bollywood actors and starlets will also be campaigning for Salem though it is premature to reveal their names now. But all of them will be present-day stars and not from yesteryears," Sarogi claimed.

Salem's family members will be managing the campaign for the don, who is currently in high-security Arthur Jail in Mumbai.

Salem was extradited from Portugal in November 2005 and booked in eight cases, including the 1993 bomb blasts and the murders of builder Pradeep Jain and Ajit Dewani, former secretary of actress Manisha Koirala.

Now where else other than in India is this even conceivable? Oh wait.. there is precedence. The Bandit Queen.. So I guess that just supports my point. I am about ready to put my blindfolds on, light a cigar and stand on the rail tracks. Surely, that will be a better future than where we are clearly heading in India.