Mumbai: Extradited gangster Abu Salem was on Wednesday sentenced to life in prison by a TADA court for the 1995 murder of Mumbai builder Pradeep Jain.
On Monday, Salem’s advocate, Sudeep Pasbola, had contended that the court should fulfil the sovereign guarantee that India had given to Portugal while extraditing Salem.
He also added that the Indian government had assured the Portugal government that the treaty signed with them would not be violated. However, India’s demand for capital punishment and then for life imprisonment also amounted to violation of the treaty.
Pasbola had pointed out that as per the treaty, Salem cannot be awarded sentence for more than 25 years nor can he be given capital punishment.
He said that the set off period for Salem should be counted from the date when his extradition process began in 2002, and not from the date he was brought to India and arrested in 2005.
Pradeep Jain was shot dead by assailants outside his Juhu bungalow in March 1995 after he refused to give up a huge property to Salem.
(Agencies)