Days after the Supreme Court stayed the TADA proceedings in two cases against gangster Abu Salem, the Centre appears to have made up its mind to withdraw the cases.
The Centre, after a high-level meet, decided to withdraw the TADA cases but will continue to oppose Salem’s extradition to Portugal - a Lisbon court had terminated the extradition of Abu Salem to India.
The Supreme Court while staying the TADA proceedings had observed that Portugal court’s order has to be respected. Out of two TADA cases, one is related to 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
“We have to respect the order of court of appeal and the Supreme Court of Justice of Portugal," the bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam observed. It said that there was an important question involved on whether an executive decision could affect judicial proceedings.
However, the court had refused to stay proceedings in other five cases and issued notices to the CBI and the Centre on Salem's plea to quash all criminal cases against him. The bench asked the CBI and the Ministry of External Affairs to file their replies within four weeks and also asked Attorney General G E Vahanwati to assist it in deciding Salem's plea.
--Agencies
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