Jain murder case: Salem’s mediator lands, arrested

The Mumbai police yesterday arrested two people who were named by extradited gangster Abu Salem during his interrogation: Naeem Khan and Riyaz Siddique. While the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested and whisked Khan away after he flew down to Mumbai from Dubai at around 6 pm, Siddique was arrested earlier in the afternoon from Milat Nagar in Oshiwara.

One of the three absconding accused in the Pradeep Jain murder case, Khan’s arrest is significant as he was allegedly the mediator who was sent by Salem to negotiate a property deal with the Jains. Like Salem, Khan too has not faced trial in the Jain murder case, unlike the six other accused. While a Sessions Court had acquitted all the six accused in 1997, the Supreme Court in 2001 sentenced the two shooters to life imprisonment and declared Salem and Naeem—they were absconding—guilty.

Confirming his arrest later, Police Commissioner A N Roy said: ‘‘Khan has been arrested for his role in the murder of Pradeep Jain. Depending on his role and how he co-operates… we may consider turning him an approver.’’

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Although officials were tight-lipped when asked if Khan had surrendered, it is learnt that an ATS team had left for Dubai after Khan’s name surfaced during investigation.

‘‘We have been conducting an operation for the past 15 days. If it will be beneficial to make him an approver, we may consider the possibility,’’ Roy said. ‘‘Legally, we have arrested them in Mumbai and there are no terms or conditions for the arrests.’’

Siddiqui, a Nagpada resident who fled India in 1995, was deported from Dubai in 2003 in a paper case. He was later discharged because the case papers went missing.