A Portugal court has cleared underworld don Abu Salem's extradition to India to face trial in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case.
Salem is undergoing a four-and-a-half year sentence in Portugal for obstructing government officials from performing their duty and entering that country with forged documents.
Official sources said that the Portuguese high court has agreed to the Indian government's petition for extradition of the gangster.
Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police (Crime) Dr Satya Pal Singh said, "But, like Monica Bedi, he can approach a higher court, which will delay the process.
"We want Salem in connection with more than 50 cases related to murder, attempt to murder, extortion. We had sought his extradition in connection with two murder cases, that of land developer Pradip Jain in 1995 and Ajit Diwani (secretary of film stars Aftab Shivdasani and Lisa Ray) in 2001."
Salem is also an accused in the 1992-93 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai, the trial of which is in progress. The Central Bureau of Investigation is expected to charge Salem separately in this case.
