Gangster Riyaz Siddiqui was convicted under the same charges as his boss, Abu Salem, for the sensational 1995 murder of the builder
Pradeep Jain
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More than 20 years after the sensational murder of builder Pradeep Jain, the Special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act (TADA) court convicted gangster Riyaz Ahmad Iqbal Ahmad Siddiqui of the crime. The same court had in 2015 sentenced underworld don Abu Salem and his driver to life imprisonment for the murder.
Brother recalls
Pradeep was murdered in March 1995 to teach a lesson to his family, after they refused to vacate a property in Kol Dongri that Salem's gang had its eye on. Pradeep's brother, Sunil, told mid-day, "Riyaz was the first to approach us for the property. He called and said that Salem would kill our whole family if we didn't do as they wanted. Riyaz also came to our office and asked us to hand over the property to Salem quietly."
Also read: Gangster Abu Salem moves SC against conviction in Jain murder case
"Riyaz should be imprisoned for a long time. People like Salem and Riyaz, who take the lives of others, should not be spared. I am happy with our judiciary; it took time, but I got justice," he added.
In his testimony to the court, Sunil had said that he too had sustained a bullet wound during the attack on his brother on March 7, 1995.
The charges
The special court, presided over by G A Sanap, convicted Siddiqui under the same charges as Salem and Hassan, which are sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 193 (false evidence), 386 (extortion), 449, 450 and 452 (house-trespass) of the Indian Penal Code, along with various sections under the TADA that attract the death penalty.
Also read: Abu Salem sentenced to life for killing Mumbai-based builder
Siddiqui had initially turned approver for the prosecution, giving detailed information about the crime. However, he was declared a hostile witness after he denied his and Salem's roles in the killing. The court will hear arguments on the point of sentencing on September 8.
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