Abu Salem, Monica in Mumbai, to be produced in court
Agencies Posted online: Friday, November 11, 2005 at 0319 hours IST Updated: Friday, November 11, 2005 at 1510 hours IST
Lisbon, November 11: In the first major success in an extradition battle, CBI on Friday brought back one of India's most wanted terrorists Abu Salem, a prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts along with his girlfriend Monica Bedi, after a three-year legal process in Portugal.
Capping a three-week secretive operation, a team of 20 CBI and police officials headed by a Deputy Inspector General, brought the two from Lisbon in a chartered flight to Mumbai on Friday morning for trial in a host of cases including 25 alone in the commercial capital.
The extradition of Salem, who is also wanted in various cases including the murder of noted film producer Gulshan Kumar besides his role in the 1993 blasts masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim, comes after an assurance to Portugal that he would not be given death penalty, an important requirement in extradition proceedings in Europe.
Bollywood starlet Bedi, however, faces trial in connection with two cases of forgery of passport in Bhopal and Hyderabad. She had travelled on forged documents to stay with Salem in Lisbon in the last few years.
"He (Salem) and Monica Bedi were handed over to the 20-member strong CBI team headed by a dig in the intervening night of November 10 and 11, who later brought them here in a special plane," said CBI director Uma Shankar Misra at a hurriedly called press conference.
Salem and Bedi, arrested in Lisbon on September 18, 2002,gave a tough time to the CBI by challenging every move of the Indian investigative agency in High Court, Supreme Court and the constitutional court in Portugal.
The duo were arrested by the Portuguese police on charges of entering the country on forged passports and marrying local residents separately to get permanent resident status.
While Bedi was sentenced to two years of imprisonment, Salem was jailed for four and half years on three counts, which included perjury, entering Portugal on forged documents and preventing a police officer from performing his duty.
A jubilant Misra said that Salem would be produced in the designated court in Mumbai trying the 1993 blast cases and attributed the extradition to growing "international concern over terrorists who are now operating in different states and trans-national criminals involved in different gangs, are to be tried appropriately."
The interrogation of Salem, who has been on run since the Mumbai serial blasts, is expected to provide a detailed insight into the ISI's role in the 1993 serial explosions.
"I think we will get some information about this," said Misra, when asked whether the underworld don's arrest could throw more light on Dawood Ibrahim and ISI's role in serial blasts.
The CBI director said that the interrogation of Salem would be "kept open" and all the inputs from intelligence bureau, research and analysis wing and other security agencies would be taken note of.
Asked whether the extradition of Salem could open a floodgate for other wanted criminals to follow, an exuberant Misra said, "we are trying our very best and one fine morning you will know that."
About his security, Misra said, "We have made suffient security and police arrangements" and added that his movements would be kept secret. The CBI Chief said he would be first produced before the designated court in Mumbai trying 1993 serial blasts and then he would be handed over to other states, where he was wanted.
Asked whether there was a chance for Salem to get bail, he said, "I don't think he will be getting it but it is a matter for courts to decide. As far as our stand in the court will be, we will be seeking his remand."
The CBI Chief said that the underworld don had been extradited to India in eight cases, which included the serial blasts, two cases of forgery of passports from Lucknow, three cases of extortion from Delhi and two murder cases in Mumbai, which included murder of Ajit Dewani, secretary of Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala.
Asked whether Salem or Bedi would not be sentenced to death, Misra said there has been an "executive assurance" from the government that the duo would not be served with capital punishment.
This assurance was given by the government in 2003 after Portugal refused to entertain the Indian request, as its law held that no person could be extradited to any such country, where capital punishment was also a mode of punishment.
The CBI director thanked the Portuguese government, Indian mission in Lisbon for the successful extradition, which is the first of its kind from any European country from where a terrorist involved in such a heinous crime was extradited.
Earlier, CBI had managed to deport Aftab Ansari, mastermind in the attack on American centre in Kolkata, from Dubai. Misra said that Salem and Bedi arrived at Mumbai airport between 0700 hours and 0800 hours
The extradition of Salem, who served 39 months in a Lisbon prison for entering Portugal on a forged document, came close on the heels of a constitutional court of that country turning down his appeal against the extradition order of Supreme Court.
In December last year, the Supreme Court had ordered extradition of Monica Bedi, who had written to President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking pardon and permission to stay in Norway with her parents.
Salem's interrogation was also expected to blow the lid off certain prominent personalities, against whom the Mumbai police and the CBI had failed to gather any evidence regarding their links with the underworld.
Lisbon, November 11: In the first major success in an extradition battle, CBI on Friday brought back one of India's most wanted terrorists Abu Salem, a prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts along with his girlfriend Monica Bedi, after a three-year legal process in Portugal.
