Bombay High Court on Thursday upheld the 2002 conviction order of Abdul Rauf in connection to the murder of music baron and T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar. 16 bullets were pumped into him on August 12, 1997, by two professional shooters.
“The appellant (Rauf) shall not be entitled to remission considering his criminal antecedents and in the interest of justice and the public at large, he is not entitled to any leniency,” noted the division bench of Justice S S Jadhav and Justice N R Borkar. However, Rauf’s conviction under Section 392 (Robbery) and Section 397 (Dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code has been reversed by the bench.
Abdul Rashid Dawood’s Acquittal Reversed
Following an appeal moved by the Maharashtra government, Bombay High Court reversed the acquittal of Raif’s brother, Abdul Rashid Dawood and sentenced him for life. However, the court upheld the acquittal of TIPS founder Ramesh Taurani.
A Recap Of Gulshan Kumar Murder Case
Crossing Paths with Underworld — The Bombay of the late 1980s and early 90s, the influence of the underworld mafia was quite dominant. Extortions, death threats, and killings became a usual thing to hear every day. As Gulshan Kumar chose not to bow down before the Mumbai underworld.
10 Crore Ransom Demand by Abu Salem — Dawood Ibrahim’s right hand man Abu Salem had allegedly demanded 10 crore ransom from Gulshan Kumar.
“Don Abu Salem had demanded a ransom of Rs 10 crore from Gulshan Kumar. But Gulshan Kumar flatly refused to give it. There were constant calls from the underworld, but Gulshan Kumar was not afraid. Gulshan Kumar had told Abu Salem on the phone – for 10 crores, I will get Bhandara in Vaishno Devi … Abu Salem found it so bad that his henchmen told Gulshan Kumar while killing – worshiped a lot, Now go up and do it,” wrote Journalist-turned-writer Hussain Zaidi in his book ‘My Name is Abu Salem’.
Brutal Killing with 16 Bullets — Death came to Gulshan Kumar much like success did. After reconnaissance for over a month and two threatening calls to pay the extortion money, T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar was shot 16 times by two assailants outside Shiva temple in Mumbai’s Andheri area. Initially, Kumar managed to survive and sought shelter in nearby huts. But unfortunately, all the residents shut their doors. Kumar’s driver Suraj who tried to give him shelter was shot in both the legs.
Nadeem Akhtar Saifi — Co-Conspirator
Nadeem Saifi, music composer of the music duo Nadeem-Shravan was alleged to be a co-conspirator. He fled to the United Kingdom and the case was taken to the London High Court which rejected Saifi’s extradition to India. The only witness against Saifi, Mohammed Ali Hussain Shaikh, turned hostile. Initially, he alleged Saifi’s involvement in the murder but later he submitted that he didn’t know Saifi. He acquired British citizenship and was acquitted of all the charges.
Ramesh Taurani Booked Under Charges of Abetment To Murder
In October 1997, TIPS founder Ramesh Taurani was arrested under charges of abetment to crime. He allegedly paid Rs 25 lakh to the killers because of personal disputes. However, the police failed to prove the allegations before the court.
Chargesheet Filed, 26 People Accused
In November 1997, a 400-page chargesheet was filed. The arrest of people continued. One of the assassins, Abdul Rauf was arrested from Kolkata in 2001. The trial began the same year and eighteen of the nineteen accused were acquitted by the trial court. Abdul Rauf was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Abdul fled to Bangladesh after he was granted furlough by the Bombay High Court in 2009. He was arrested there for crossing the borders and was sentenced to six years in prison. He was extradited to India from Bangladesh in 2016 and has been lodged in the high-security Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.
Let Me Say It Now: Rakesh Maria
Former Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria released a book in 2020 where he made several startling revelations. In the book, he disclosed the sequence of events in many crucial cases including 1993 blasts, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Sheena Bora murder case, and Gulshan Kumar murder mystery was one among them.
He revealed that Mumbai police detailed intelligence on a plot to kill music baron Gulshan Kumar. In the book, he wrote that he received a call on April 22, 1997. “Sir, Gulshan Kumar ka wicket girne wala hai (Sir, Gulshan Kumar is about to be assassinated),” the person on the other end of the phone apprised Maria. He
Hero Of A Rags to Riches Story
Born on 05 May 1951, Gulshan Kumar Dua was a hero of rags to riches story. He used to run a juice shop in Delhi’s Daryaganj area. He was always fond of music. He started his own cassette firm in Delhi. Super Cassette Industries. After that business turned lucrative, he moved to Mumbai. He launched T-Series in 1983 and became the highest taxpayer in the country. He was known for his devotional songs. He presided over 45 companies and studios.
