MCOCA charges against mafia don Abu Salem dropped

New Delhi, May 11 (ANI): The Delhi Police on Friday dropped MCOCA charges against mafia don Abu Salem.

The High Court accepted the Delhi Police plea to drop the charges.

Delhi Police had said that the charges violated Salem's extradition rules.

The Portugal court wanted MCOCA removed if Salem's extradition was to stand.

In February this year, the central government had decided to drop additional charges slapped against Salem under the TADA (Terrorists and Disruptive Activities, Prevention, Act) and MCOCA

The decision to drop the charges came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) wrote a letter to the Home Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry that the process of dropping the two charges should be hastened as their appeal against Salem's cancellation of extradition by the Portugal's Supreme Court has been admitted by the Constitutional Court --- the country's highest court of appeal, on February 15.

The two serious charges under special Acts of TADA and MCOCA were slapped by Mumbai and Delhi Police respectively against Salem after his extradition from Portugal in 2005.

Salem had alleged that the police's action was a serious violation of extradition clauses, signed between India and Portugal to facilitate his return to face criminal trial.

He filed a petition in the Supreme Court and simultaneously moved the Portuguese court alleging that the the government has violated extradition's main clause, the Rule of Speciality laws, which debars slapping of any 'additional charges' expect those figure during the extradition.

His case, however, took a curious turn after his contention was rejected by the Supreme Court, but was accepted by the Portugal's High Court and Supreme Court.

Now with two of the Portuguese courts ruling in Salem's favour, the CBI requested the government to take an urgent step to rectify "mistakes" or there is a chance of losing the case.

It fears that any such development would not only create an unprecedented diplomatic row but also a political furore as the don is involved in several heinous crime, including the 1992 serial Mumbai blast. (ANI)