Lisbon okays first step, Monica handover soon

The high court had initially turned down the CBI’s extradition appeal in July this year. But India had appealed to the Supreme Court which had sent it back to the high court for reconsideration.

The CBI hopes Bedi’s extradition will be followed by that of Salem as the latter’s extradition hearing is going on in the same court that granted Bedi’s extradition. Another boost is that on November 28 the Sessions Court of Portugal found Salem, one of the prime accused in the Bombay blast cases, and Bedi guilty of using forged documents to enter and stay in Portugal.

Salem, Dawood Ibrahim’s associate, was awarded a four-and-a-half year jail term while Bedi was given a two-year term. Salem was also found guilty of resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer and perjury because he gave false depositions before the court.

The CBI has nine cases against Salem. Bedi is wanted for forgery and travelling under fake passport under the name of Sana Mallik. PTI reports CBI Director P.C. Sharma as saying that Bedi’s extradition is like his dream come ‘‘partially true’’.