Portugal court orders Abu Salem's extradition

The Portugal high court has permitted extradition of underworld don and an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts Abu Salem to India for facing trial in offences related to forging of passports and cases of extortion.

According to a communication received by the CBI on Monday, following directions from the Portugal Supreme Court, the country's high court passed a reasoned order explaining why Salem should be extradited to India.

According to the order, India could try the underworld don only for offences like forging passports, smuggling arms into Mumbai and not for heinous crimes like causing activities leading to death of civilians as in the case of the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

India has already given an assurance to the Portuguese government that Salem would not be awarded death sentence.

Salem's girlfriend Monica Bedi was also ordered to be extradited to India last week.

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The duo was arrested on September 21, 2002 in Lisbon and Salem was sentenced to four-and-a-half years imprisonment on three counts - entering Portugal on forged documents, causing injury to a policeman who was performing his duty and perjury.

The Portuguese government had dropped one of the three charges against Salem - of marrying a local girl to get a resident permit.

Monday's order puts to rest the statement made by Salem's lawyer Joao Nabais in June that the Portugal Supreme Court had overturned the extradition order.