Trial against Salem must go on, says CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday informed a special court that it has challenged the Portugal Supreme Court’s cancellation of extradition of gangster Abu Salem to India and his trial in the 1993 serial bomb blasts should go on here.

The CBI, India’s nodal agency for extradition cases, has moved Portugal’s Constitutional Court against the Portugal Supreme Court’s recent ruling confirming the decision to terminate the extradition of Salem in 2005 to face trial in various cases.

“We have challenged the order of Portugal Supreme Court, which had cancelled Abu Salem’s extradition, in the Constitutional Court of Portugal. (Hence), the trial of Salem in 1993 serial bomb blasts case should go on,” the Central agency told the Special TADA Court in Mumbai.

In the second week of January, Portugal’s Supreme Court had upheld an order which cancelled extradition of Salem for violation of deportation rules by slapping new charges which attracted death penalty.

Rejecting an appeal by Indian authorities, the Portugal Supreme Court had upheld the order of Court of Appeal in Lisbon which had held that there was a breach of Rule of Speciality in the matter of extradition of the 46-year-old underworld don.

Reacting to the order, the CBI had then claimed the Portugal Supreme Court has not cancelled the extradition of Salem and that only a technical point had been raised. It also added the order is not expected to have any repercussions on the status of Salem and on the on-going trial against him in India.

Following the Portugal court order, Salem, lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, had moved the TADA Court seeking closure of the trial against him in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Salem is also facing trial in various other criminal cases.

India had given an executive assurance to Portugal that it would not slap any charges against Salem which would attract death penalty and would not keep him behind bars for more than 25 years.

The Delhi and Mumbai Police, however, on their own assessment slapped charges which attracted death penalty, leaving the government and the CBI red-faced. Later, police wanted to withdraw the charges but the courts did not approve of it.

Salem had filed a petition in the High Court in Lisbon alleging violation of Rule of Speciality after which a judgement was pronounced on September 19, 2011, saying there had been breach of the Indian undertaking given to the Portuguese authorities.

The Supreme Court of India in September 2010, on similar petitions filed by Salem, had held that there has been no violation of Rule of Speciality after examining the issues pertaining to the rule with reference to and in comparison with extradition laws of the U.K., the U.S. and Portugal, a CBI spokesperson had said.

Salem and his then companion, actor Monica Bedi, were extradited to India on November 11, 2005, after a marathon legal process in Portugal lasting three years.

Salem is also wanted in various cases, including the murder of noted film producer Gulshan Kumar in 1997. 

-PTI

North Korea to punish mobile phone users

London: North Korea has warned its citizens against use of cell phones inside the country, saying anyone caught talking on mobiles would be branded as "war criminals" and punished accordingly, a media report said.

North Korea has long relied on a total restriction of information to maintain control over its isolated citizenry, and in this crucial time of transition between late Kim Jong il and his successor, Kim Jong Un, the state is clamping down on anyone using mobile phones, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

This is apparently because of fears of possible discontent among people if they come to know about conditions outside North Korea from any report sent into the country by mobile phones, the report said.


There are also concerns in North Korea that reports about the popular uprisings in the Middle East last year which toppled long-ruling dictators in countries like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt could trigger unrest in the isolated nation.

Moreover, the North Korean regime fears that any outside communication could assist anybody attempting to flee the country to reach South Korea, where an estimated 23,000 defectors have now settled, the report said.

Meanwhile there are reports from within the isolated state that food supplies are again dwindling and that there has been an increase in the number of people attempting to cross the border into China.

The North recently accepted private food aid from the South Korean "Korea Peace Foundation" even as they maintain military exercises and standing threats against their neighbour.

PTI

Samsung to stop selling window ACs this year

Hyderabad: Samsung India Electronics has decided to stop selling window air-conditioners (ACs) from this year as its sales have dwindled, the company said today.


Split ACs accounted for 85 per cent of Samsung’s total sales of the segment in 2011. The company is expecting it to be 100 per cent this year.

Overall, the share of split ACs in the total off-take in the country rose from 75 per cent in 2010 to 77 per cent last year, while the window version registered a de-growth of 26 per cent, Samsung India Vice-President (Home Appliances) Mahesh Krishnan said.

"Consumers are now moving more towards energy-efficient, aesthetically-appealing ACs having low noise levels. We have decided to exit from Window AC sales from this year.

The segment stopped growing," Krishnan said at a press conference.

Announcing the nation-wide launch of 39 new split AC models, Krishnan said the southern market accounted for 32 per cent of Samsung’s total AC sales.

Stating that Samsung's 2012 range of ACs will be all star rated, complying with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency standards, he said star ratings had become one of the key purchase triggers.

"While two and three star rated ACs contributed 49 per cent to our sales in 2010 and 61 per cent in 2011, five star rated ACs accounted for 22 per cent in 2011, as against 19 per cent in the previous year.

"We expect five star rated ACs to contribute 25 per cent this year," Krishnan said,

The company is expecting to sell 500,000 split ACs in 2012, as against 350,000 units last year.

The Indian AC market, at 3 million units last year, is expected to touch 3.2 million units in 2012, he added.

Samsung India’s brand ambassador for Home Appliances Priyanka Chopra unveiled the 2012 range of ACs.

PTI