Wary of another embarassment in UK courts,the Mumbai Police Crime Branch is unlikely to pursue the extradition of close Dawood Ibrahim aide Iqbal Memon alias Iqbal Mirchi from London,top sources told Newsline on Monday. The Mumbai Polices reluctance in pursuing the matter is primarily due to its 1995 experience when it burnt its fingers seeking Mirchis extradition. Not only was the request denied by the London courts,but the Crime Branch was also asked to pay hefty damages to him. Newsline had earlier reported that it would prove difficult to get Mirchi extradited as the cases for which he is wanted are at least 20 years old or more. Compiling exhaustive details of these cases while building a dossier to press for Mirchis extradition could pose problems,senior Mumbai Police officers had conceded. The Crime Branch had stated that a dossier was being prepared on Mirchi and the process of seeking his extradition would begin once official confirmation of his arrest was receieved. Officers have now revealed that the plan to push for Mirchis extradition is likey to be shelved altogether,although a formal decision is yet to be taken. After careful consideration,it is becoming clear now that a fresh demand being sent for Mirchis extradition from London is highly unlikely. The Mumbai Police had asked for his extradition in 1995,which had been rejected after a long legal battle in London courts. There have been no fresh cases registered by the Mumbai Police against Mirchi since. Therefore,his extradition now would have to be sought once again on the basis of the same cases which were put forward in the first place, said a top Mumbai Police officer,who did not wish to be named. Having already faced embarassment in the matter,there is a great deal of reluctance to send a renewed demand for extradition without any new evidence in support of the fresh request. Once such a demand is sent,it cannot be recalled in any way and there is no going back for amendments, said the officer.
