UAE, India fail to break ice on extradition stalemate

Gangster Dawood Ibrahim, wanted in connection with the Bombay blasts and several other cases, is not in Dubai or anywhere else in the United Arab Emirates, delegates from that country told Central Bureau of Investigation officials.

But another gangster Abu Salem has been arrested in the UAE in connection with the murder of music magnate Gulshan Kumar, the delegates said.

CBI Director R C Sharma told reporters after the conclusion of the week-long Interpol conference, that this was conveyed to the Bureau by UAE delegates.

The meeting between CBI officials and UAE delegates was arranged by Interpol Secretary General R E Kendall.

The delegates maintained they did not know Ibrahim, Sharma said, adding that, ''Obviously, he is not there for the time being.''

The UAE arrested Abu Salem on a red corner alert issued by Interpol at the request of the Bombay police in the Gulshan Kumar murder case. Sharma indicated that the talks arranged by Interpol had failed to break the stalemate on the issue of extradition of criminals, both by India and the UAE.

''How can you reach a consensus?'' overnight when so many notices were pending between the two countries, he said. The two countries do not have a bilateral extradition treaty.

''We both had complaints at the talks," Sharma said. While the UAE sought the extradition of people who had broken laws there and were allegedly holed up in India, the CBI presented its case for bringing to book Ibrahim and other fugitives in the Emirates.