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By Vinay Kumar
Salem, his companion and Bollywood starlet, Monica Bedi, and an aide, Sayed Haider, were detained by the Interpol-Lisbon on Wednesday outside their home on charges of possessing fake documents. Salem's arrest came after the CBI, which represents Interpol in India, managed to trail the don and his movements for the past three months. "Salem's arrest also marks the extremely meaningful and fruitful cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the U.S. as well as useful contacts with the Interpol-France and Lisbon,'' the CBI Director, P.C. Sharma, said here. He said the CBI was putting together its team for Lisbon which would complete the legal formalities and try to bring Salem and his associates back home. Mr. Sharma, who has been in touch with the top authorities of the FBI, said that Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs were also being consulted to work out the modalities using diplomatic channels to secure the deportation or extradition of Salem. The arrest of Salem would have a "salutary impact" and convey the message to the underworld that global cooperation could check their activities and bring dons like Salem to book. "This is a very healthy sign. As terrorist and organised crimes rise, there is also recognition among various countries of the need to help each other," he said. Salem, an accused in the Bombay serial blasts case of March 1993, is also wanted by police in Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai in about 50 cases of extortion and killings. His arrest in Lisbon comes at a time when the CBI has been able to secure deportation in the recent past of several other wanted criminals, money launderers and extortionists from abroad such as Aftab Ansari, Raju Anadkad and Muthapa Rai. Interest in the buying and selling properties in the U.S. and Europe by Salem also evoked suspicion of the law enforcing agencies there. He was trying to sell a property in the U.S. and his frequent visits to that country had aroused the suspicion of the FBI which got in touch with the CBI and the don's movements were trailed. In Lisbon too, he had acquired properties in the name of Monica Bedi, and also kept his aide, Haider, handy in order to wriggle out of tricky situations. A `red corner' alert notice against Salem had earlier been issued by the Interpol in the Bombay blast case. Later, addressing a press conference, the CBI Joint Director (Policy), Ashwani Kumar, said the issue of Salem's deportation was under consideration at the "highest level" in the Government. He said a CBI team could be sent to Lisbon early next week, adding that local infrastructure for assistance in Portugal was being put up for the team. Mr. Kumar said that Salem alias Qayoom Ansari was sent to 90-day judicial custody by a Portuguese court on Friday and the CBI had enough time to "negotiate" his return. Abu Salem and Monica Bedi were said to be posing in Portugal as Arsalan Mohsin Ali and Sana Malik. He said their fingerprints and photographs had already been sent to the authorities in Portugal, which came as a "great help" at the time of arrest.
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