Gulshan Kumar murder case: Abdul Rashid surrenders before Mumbai court

Abdul Rashid Dawood Merchant surrendered before the sessions court today as per the order of the Bombay High Court. Nearly 24 years after the crime that shocked the Hindi film industry, the HC had upheld the acquittal of film producer and Tips Industries co-founder Ramesh Taurani in the Gulshan Kumar murder case, but confirmed the conviction of co-accused Abdul Rauf Merchant, brother of Abdul Rashid Merchant.

Mumbai: Abdul Rashid Merchant, whose acquittal in the 1997 murder case of music baron Gulshan Kumar, was last week quashed by the Bombay High Court, on Wednesday surrendered before a sessions court here. On July 1, the high court had quashed his acquittal and sentenced him to life imprisonment, noting that he was one of the persons who shot at Kumar.

The high court had directed him to surrender either before police station or the trial court, and also said that if he fails to surrender, the court can issue a non-bailable warrant against him.

"Abdul Rashid Dawood Merchant surrendered before the sessions court today as per the order of the Bombay High Court," his lawyer Ganesh Iyer said. Nearly 24 years after the crime that shocked the Hindi film industry, the HC had upheld the acquittal of film producer and Tips Industries co-founder Ramesh Taurani in the Gulshan Kumar murder case, but confirmed the conviction of co-accused Abdul Rauf Merchant, brother of Abdul Rashid Merchant.

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"The acquittal of another accused Abdul Rashid Merchant is quashed. Rashid is convicted under sections 302, 120(b) of the IPC and section 27 of the Indian Arms Act. The accused is sentenced to life imprisonment," the high court had said, in its order.

On April 29, 2002, a sessions court acquitted 18 of the 19 accused. The trial court had only convicted Rauf under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 392 (robbery) and 397 (causing grievous hurt in robbery) and section 27 (possession of arms) of the Indian Arms Act. Gulshan Kumar, known as 'Cassette King', was shot dead outside a temple in suburban Andheri on August 12, 1997.

PTI