Salem discharged from MCOCA

MUMBAI: Special judge R G Awachat on Friday discharged extradited gangster Abu Salem from MCOCA in the Ajit Dewani murder case.
Special prosecutor J R Madon said the charges were dropped on the home ministry's instructions on September 29. He explained that since a MCOCA court cannot try regular matters, Salem had to be discharged completely. Madon said it was now up to the state to frame regular charges under the IPC and Arms Act against Salem.
Salem was extradited on November 11, 2005.He is accused of conspiring to kill Dewani with the help of his cronies, Upendra Singh alias Guddu, Nizamuddin Khan alias Kumar, Akhilesh Singh, Ayub Patel, Saheblal Giri and Deepak Singh alias Deepu. After his extradition, another accused, Shah Alam was arrested by the crime branch in the case.
According to prosecution, Upendra and Deepak barged into Dewani's office in Lokhandwala and shot at him at point blank range at Salem's behest.