MEA denies receiving letter from Portugal on Salem

New Delhi, May 10: The External Affairs Ministry today denied having received any official information from Purtugal regarding alleged torture of under-world don Abu Salem in police custody in Mumbai.

''I have checked on that. I have no confirmation that anything official has been received in the MEA,'' External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said in response to a question.

Reports here said today that Portugal had written to the External Affairs Ministry protesting against alleged torture of Salem, who is in police custody in Mumbai, and described it a ''clear violation'' of the extradition treaty.

The reports said that Portuguese government had annexed with the letter a newspaper clipping which reported about the alleged torture of Salem in police custody.

The letter sought the Ministry's comments on the report and said such actions were in clear violations of extradition treaty between India and Purtugal.

The reports said the Ministry passed the letter to the CBI which passed it on to Mumbai police for its comments.

Abu Salem, responsible for Mumbai bomb blasts, and his girl friend Monica Bedi, were arrested in Lisbon in September 2002 and their extradition was ensured only after New Delhi gave an assurance that they would not be given capital punishment.

UNI