Salem names Dawood kin in murder

New Delhi: Gangster Abu Salem has named underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees in the murder of actress Manisha Koirala's secretary Ajit Dewani.

Salem implicated Anees in a confessional statement to DCP Protection and Security, Prashant Borude, on February 9.

The statement had been sealed and was opened at the MCOCA court in Mazgaon, Mumbai on Wednesday. It was given to the prosecution and the defence lawyers.

In an earlier confession, Salem had admitted to his role in the murder of Dewani and said he had threatened the victim at the behest of Anees Ibrahim.

He stated that Anees had asked him to call Dewani and threaten him, which he did.

Salem had also said that a man called Upendranath Singh alias Guddu had called him from Banaras offering his services as hired killer.

Salem arranged to provide four pistols to Upendranath and gave him Dewani's address.

As to the actual killing, Salem said that the killers went to Dewani's house in June 2001 to demand ransom, but Dewani abused them. Angered, his men opened fire and killed Dewani.

In the same reply he also says that he had good relations with Bollywood producers Bobby Anand, Harish and Jhamu Sugand.

Salem has also said in the confession that Anees had also instructed him to threaten Bollywood directors Subhash Ghai, Ram Gopal Varma, Suneel Darshan, David Dhawan, Indra Kumar, Rajkumar Kohli, Pradeep Shah, actor Sushmita Sen and playback singer Sonu Nigam and extort money from them.

Altogether seven accused have been arrested for their alleged complicity in the murder of Dewani in 2001.

Salem was extradited on the basis of eight cases pending against him in Indian courts. Dewani's murder was one of the cases.

The police have already filed chargesheet in the Dewani case.

However, the defence has challenged the legality of the chargesheet, saying that under extradition terms, Salem was brought to India to face trial, not for the purpose of further investigation.

Hence the chargesheet - based partly on police investigation after his extradition - was illegal, they have pleaded.

The case has been adjourned till May 3 for arguments on this point.