Salem, Monica married Portuguese to avoid extradition

Extradited underworld don Abu Salem and his wife Monica Bedi married two Portuguese partners on paper to get citizenship of that country and avoid any chance of extradition, Central Bureau of Investigation sources said in Mumbai on Tuesday. It was Salem, who first married a Portuguese girl and Monica followed suit, sources said refusing to reveal the identity of the Portuguese partners of the gangster and his wife.

The marriages took place almost a year before police caught Salem in 2002, they said. Salem partially succeeded in his attempt as he received a permanent residency status for himself and Monica in Portugal, where laws allow such status to the spouses of the citizens, the sources said. "After the residency status, the duo planned to apply for citizenship and in that event it would have been difficult to have them extradited," the sources added.

Salem ran out of luck in the intervening period when he was caught by Portuguese authorities on the basis of a red corner notice issued by the Interpol against him. Recovery of the forged Pakistani passport added to his woes. "He had cleverly decided to settle down in Lisbon as he wanted to evade Indian investigation agencies," they added. They said that while Salem claims Monica to be his wife, they are yet to come across any document suggesting that both were married.

Salem and Monica were arrested by Portuguese authorities in 2002 and charged with possession of forged documents. They stayed in jail as their pleas before local courts to prevent extradition were not accepted.

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