Salem sent to judicial custody

One of India's most wanted men appeared in court in Mumbai on Wednesday, accused of involvement in bombings more than 12 years ago that killed 260 people in the country's financial center.

Police accuse Abu Salem, 36, of being a key associate of criminal syndicate leader Dawood Ibrahim, whom they say planned and funded the bombings in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay.

Arriving in court dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, Salem looked calm, surrounded by tight security. A lawyer for Salem, a Muslim, has said he worries that Hindu gangsters in Mumbai might kill him.

Judge PD Kode ordered Salem to be sent to judicial custody and was to decide later on Wednesday which jail he will be held in, given fears over his safety.

Dozens of policemen, many armed with automatic weapons, guarded the anti-terrorist court in the heart of Mumbai, created to try cases relating to the blasts.

He was extradited from Portugal a few weeks ago along with one-time Bollywood actress Monica Bedi. He had been held there since being arrested with Bedi in 2002 for using fake documents and resisting arrest.