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Portugal ready to hand over Abu Salem: Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi Feb. 20. Portugal has agreed to hand over the underworld don, Abu Salem, to India, the Government informed the Rajya Sabha today.

"We do not have an extradition treaty with Portugal. But it has said that he (Abu Salem) would be handed over soon,'' the Minister of State for External Affairs, Digvijay Singh, said in reply to a supplementary raised by Manoj Bhattacharya (RSP).

On being asked about the identity of the person (arrested) in Lisbon, Mr. Singh said: "As far as identity is concerned, he is Abu Salem."

However, the investigating agencies are believed to be surprised over the Government announcement. The Minister's categorical statement, according to sources in the agencies, is premature.

The technical position is that the proceedings against Abu Salem are on in a court of law and that no one is in a position to anticipate the verdict.

The agencies are apprehensive that the Minister's remarks could complicate the extradition process.

`Fire-fighting' operation

The agencies and the Ministry of External Affairs are now engaged in a "fire-fighting" operation, ensuring that the Minister's statement is not misunderstood by various authorities in Portugal.

The fear is that the judicial authorities in Portugal may take a negative view of the assumption in Mr. Singh's announcement.

On the deportation of Dawood Ibrahim's brother, Iqbal Shaikh Kaskar and Ezaz Pathan, Mr. Singh said the success or failure of deportation of wanted persons from countries with whom India did not have an extradition treaty depended entirely on the countries concerned.

The Minister said India had concluded extradition treaties with 19 countries and it was in the process of finalising such arrangements with seven countries, besides initiating proposals with 30 countries.

The pace was slow as each treaty had to be discussed, taking into account the legal system of India and the contracting party.

Asked if India had signed the United Nations Convention on Trans-National Organised Crime, Mr. Singh said the proposal was with the Government.

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