Monica move to stall extradition

New Delhi: Underworld don Abu Salem’s wife Monica Bedi has filed a petition in the Portugal Supreme Court, challenging a high court order to extradite her to India to face trial, reports our special correspondent.

Sources said the Portugal prosecutor-general has already been briefed by CBI officials to oppose Monica’s petition, seeking a review of the November 28 high court verdict directing the authorities to hand her over to the Indian government.

Monica, a small-time Bollywood actress, had also approached the Portugal government seeking asylum since she feared “discrimination” by the Indian government as she belongs to a minority community.

The sources added that the CBI has petitioned the Portugal government opposing her asylum application.

This is not the first time Monica has raked up the issue of discrimination by the Indian authorities on religious grounds.

She had raised similar fears during the trial, but the CBI countered it by submitting copies of court judgments supporting its contention of an accused getting impartial trial, irrespective of his/her background.

Apart from the high court’s order on the extradition, the trial court in Portugal had sentenced Monica to imprisonment for two years on the charge of “forgery” and “forging documents” to obtain travel documents to enter the country.

Salem was also sentenced to six years’ imprisonment on three counts, but the court “moderated” the term to four-and-a-half years. The verdict on Salem’s extradition is expected after the winter break ends early this month.

10 revellers die in Orissa

Dhenkanal (PTI): At least 10 people died and 13 were injured in two separate accidents involving new year revellers in Orissa, police said.

Seven persons were killed and eight injured when a jeep, trying to overtake a bus, collided with a stone-laden truck coming from the opposite direction at Haladiabahal, about 40 km from here, on Thursday morning.

The impact of the collision was so severe that bodies of five persons were scattered all over the place. Two of the injured died at a government hospital at Angul, where the eight are being treated. The condition of three is critical, hospital sources said.

In another mishap, three persons were killed and five injured when their vehicle collided head on with a loaded truck near Budhikhamari, about 10 km from Baripada. The victims were going to the beach resort of Chandipur in Balasore district.

Chinar to get back its sheen

Srinagar (PTI): The Chinar Bagh in the vicinity of Dal Lake will get back its grandeur with the Jammu and Kashmir government deciding to develop it as a tourist spot.

A comprehensive project to restore the garden as also to rehabilitate houseboat owners has been drawn up, tourism minister Ghulam Hassan Mir told boat owners during a visit to the area on Thursday. They will be given Rs 1 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s package and timber at concessional rates to refurbish their boats, he said.

Ration card puzzle

Madurai (PTI): Driven by anger, a woman in Tamil Nadu declared herself a widow and got her husband’s name deleted from the ration card. Officials said 55-year-old Santosham of Mangapuram in Rajapalayam was angry as Gurusamy left the house following frequent quarrels and started living alone. Although he used to visit his family every month and give them money for the last one year, she petitioned for the deletion, saying he was dead. Seeing her in a plain white sari, the officials believed her. Gurusamy’s name was deleted and the card was issued in her name. When Gurusamy asked for an explanation, the officials promised to reinstate the card on Thursday.

Parcel bomb blast

Ahmedabad (PTI): One person was injured when a parcel bomb exploded in his hand on Thursday, police said. He was injured when he was trying to open it at his shop near Bapunagar checkpost. The police said a boy brought to his notice the parcel lying near an adjacent shop.

Army captain killed

Jammu (PTI): Three persons, including an army captain, were killed in different encounters in Poonch and Udhampur districts where security forces also foiled an infiltration bid on Wednesday night, sources said. Captain Mridul Sharma was killed and a jawan injured in Udhampur district. One jawan was killed in an ambush on a patrolling party in Poonch.

Currency haul

Phagwara (PTI): Police arrested a resident of Prempura and recovered fake currency notes worth Rs 59,100, a computer, a scanner and a monitor.

As many as 125 prisoners will be kept in open camps under a special jail reform scheme in Rajasthan. The prisoners who are awarded over five-year punishment and have already undergone one-third of their term will participate in the programme.