Centre seeks more from SC in Abu Salem case

Appearing before a bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam, Attorney General G E Vahanwati sought more time to decide on the action after a Portuguese court terminated Salem's extradition on the ground that India had violated the provisions of the extradition treaty.

The bench had earlier asked the CBI and the Ministry of External Affairs to file their replies to Salem's plea for quashing criminal cases against him after termination of his extradition and also asked Attorney General to assist it in deciding the case.

Salem, currently lodged in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, had filed the application in the apex court after the Portugal Supreme Court upheld the order of a lower court there.

At the time of Salem's extradition, India had assured Portugal that no charges attracting death penalty or imprisonment of more than 25 years would be pressed against him, but such charges were later brought in.

Delhi and Mumbai Police had slapped charges which invoke death penalty against him leaving the government and the CBI red-faced.

Later, the police sought to withdraw those charges, but the Delhi High Court as well the Supreme Court did not allow it. MORE