Abu Salem in police custody

Notorious underworld don and one of the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case Abu Salem was remanded to police custody till November 23 by the designated TADA court.

Salem, along with his actress girlfriend, Monica Bedi, was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials by the Portuguese authorities at 1.00 pm (IST) yesterday at Lisbon.

He was directly flown to Mumbai and kept at a Mumbai Police special unit's cell near the Mantralya. He was produced before TADA court judge PD Rokade, who remanded him to police custody till November 23.

Bedi will be sent to Hyderabad, where a case of forgery has been registered against her for obtaining a passport by using false documents.

Salem is also wanted for his alleged involvement in the murder of cassette king Gulshan Kumar, attempt on the life of producer-director Rakesh Roshan and the murder of actress Manisha Koirala's secretary Anil Diwanji, among others.

After Salem was arrested by the Portuguese authorities in 2002, the CBI had fought a long-drawn legal battle to get his custody as Salem used every trick in the statue books to avoid extradition.

"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," CBI Director Uma Shankar Misra told reporters 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.

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 statesand 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 the 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 flood gate 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 sufficient 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 and the 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 henious crime was extradited.

Earlier, the CBI had managed to deport Aftab Ansari, mastermind in the attack on American Center in Kolkata, from Dubai.

Misra said that Salem and Bedi arrived at Mumbai airport between 0700 hours and 0800 hours.