Gulshan case accused plead not guilty

MUMBAI, MAY 3. The 17 accused in Gulshan Kumar murder case, including the chairman of Tips Cassettes Ltd., Ramesh Taurani, today pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

A sessions court had on April 30 framed charges against them for their alleged complicity in the murder of audio king Gulshan Kumar Dua.

The accused today deposed before the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr. M. L. Tahilyani, who recorded their plea of not guilty. The judge explained the charges to each one of them individually.

Those facing the trial are Javed Kaliya, Rafiq Ahmed Ansari, Rafiq Falake, Imtiyaz Merchant, Adil Mohammed Ali Khan, Shabir Ali, Abdul Kavi Idris, Mohammed Azim Kavi, Aftab Alam Irshad, Ramesh Taurani, Jaffar Sharif alias Nawab, Fayyaz Chougale, Firoz Sultan Khan, Wasim Babu alias Wasim Abdul Khan, Abdul Rashid, Fatima Dawood Merchant and Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant.

All the accused have been charged under Section 302 IPC (murder) read with 120-B IPC (conspiracy).

The alleged killers, Rauf Raja, Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant and Abdul Rashid, have also been charged with offences under Arms Act, 307 IPC (causing hurt to people while gunning down the victim), 397 IPC (robbing taxi used in the crime) and 34 IPC (common intention).

Gulshan Kumar was shot dead on August 12, 1997, outside a temple here and the alleged assailants were Mohammed Rauf alias Raja, Anil Sharma (now dead) and Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant.

The prosecution has disclosed threadbare the conspiracy hatched to kill Gulshan Kumar. The first conspiracy meeting was allegedly held in Dubai. It was chaired by Abu Salem, right hand man of Karachi-based gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Among those who allegedly participated in the meeting were music composer Nadeem Akhtar Saifee, Qayoom Chacha, Mohammed Rauf Raja, Mohammed Ali Shaikh (approver) and Nawab Sharif.

Abu Salem had informed participants at the meeting that Gulshan Kumar was troubling Nadeem and so he should be killed. The motive behind the murder was business rivalry, the prosecution has alleged.

- PTI

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