MARCH 31: Principal Sessions Judge A S Aguiar today reserved orders until tomorrow on a plea by music director Nadeem Saifee and prime accused in the Gulshan Kumar murder case. Nadeem had sought the court's directions to the Mumbai police to furnish records of telephonic conversations on the basis of which he had been implicated.Nadeem's counsel, Majeed Memon submitted before the court that his client would use this information to defend himself in a London court, where he is fighting an extradition case filed by the Indian government.
Memon said the prosecution had filed some documents before the Bowstreet magistrate in London, including documents procured from the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd and MaxTouch Cellular phone service listing telephone calls made during January-August 1997. He submitted that Nadeem wished to have the records as it would enable him to prove his innocence. According to the application, information sought by Nadeem pertains to telephonic conversations of Fayyaz Communications,Bhushan Dua, brother of Gulshan Kumar, Arif Lakdawala, Keki Balsara, Ramesh Taurani, managing director of Tips Cassettes, and calls made to a mobile phone in Dubai (believed by prosecution to be that of gangster Abu Salem, who allegedly executed the murder of the audio cassette tycoon).
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam strongly opposed the application saying Nadeem had no locus standi to make such a plea because he had not surrendered before an Indian court. He contended that the application was misconceived, malafide and aimed at delaying the extradition proceedings. Nikam said that Nadeem had earlier said in a London court that he did not have faith in the Indian judicary. Memon countered by saying that his client had only expressed his lack of confidence in the investigating agency and not in the Indian judiciary.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
