New Delhi, March 5
The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, today informed the Rajya Sabha that Portugal has asked New Delhi to formally write to it for the deportation of underworld don Abu Salem to India.
Portugal had said that “we are willing to hand him over under our laws,” Mr Advani stated during question hour. So, that process requires that the crime for which he has been first detained has to be completed and then action is taken in respect of the deportation, he said.
Earlier, in his written reply, Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami said 166 Indian criminals wanted by India were likely to be hiding in other countries.
He said New Delhi had contacted the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, the USA, the UK, France, Malaysia, Canada and Germany for their extradition.
In addition, he said, Pakistan was also contacted and given a list of 20 fugitives on December 31, 2001, with the request to hand them over to India for trial in different courts of law.
In response to another question, Mr Advani said the government had increased from 50 to 75 per cent the central share for the modernisation of police forces in the country while the remaining 25 per cent is to be contributed by the state government.
Following complaints by many states that they were unable to put in 50 per cent, the Centre constituted a review committee, which recommended increasing the Centre’s contribution to 75 per cent making it incumbent upon states to contribute only 25 per cent. Of this 75 per cent, 50 per cent would be in the form of a grant while the remaining 25 per cent would be loan.
Mr Swami said the government proposes to inter-connect all police stations in the country under the computerised polynet scheme through the satellite system.
“The scheme of polynet through satellite is being considered and modalities are being worked out,” Minister of State for Home said during question hour.
The Minister explained that every police station would be inter-connected with district headquarters of states and all states would be connected with the Centre. He said the government would make a separate allocation for the polynet scheme.
He said the government was considering computerising 123 police stations in Delhi within a year for a readily accessible data-bank on crimes and criminals and was working out modalities for connecting police stations with district headquarters, which in turn, would be linked with the state headquarters.
Mr Swami informed the House that the Electronic Corporation of India and the Bureau of Police Research and Development had conducted a study on the computerisation of 123 police stations in Delhi and had sent a proposal to the Home Ministry. The proposal had been accepted in principle and was being examined, he said.
