The decision to scale down charges was taken after the Portuguese Supreme Court reminded India that Salem could not be sentenced to death or life sentence according to the extradition agreement Abu Salem

New Delhi The government is likely to withdraw all additional charges against underworld don Abu Salem and inform Portuguese authorities about the same, official sources said on Wednesday.

The decision in principle was taken at meeting in the Ministry of Home Affairs where officials from the CBI, the Law Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs also participated.

The sources said the Home Ministry had been declared as a nodal ministry to take a decision on this and also liaise with other police forces where he is facing cases, reports PTI. It was decided that the Portuguese courts will be apprised about the recent Supreme Court of Indias order which had clearly spelt that the order of the Portuguese court should be respected and also stayed the TADA proceedings in two cases against Salem. Portugals Supreme Court had recently upheld the order of a lower court there, terminating his extradition for 'violation'of deportation rules by Indian authorities.

At the time of Salems extradition, India had assured Portugal that no charges attracting death penalty, or jail for more than 25 years would be pressed against him, but such charges were later brought in later by Delhi Police and Mumbai Police.

During the meeting, the CBI and External Affairs officials gave a presentation that non- adherence of executive assurance would not augur well for the future cooperation from foreign nations, the sources said.

In a setback to India, Portugals Supreme Court has upheld an order which cancelled extradition of the gangster for violation of deportation rules by slapping new charges which attracted death penalty. The CBI had said the Supreme Court has not cancelled the extradition of Salem and that only a technical point had been raised. It also said the order is not expected to have any repercussions on the status of Salem and on the ongoing trial against him in India.

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

Salem, prime accused along with Dawood Ibrahim in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, and his girlfriend Monica Bedi were extradited to India on November 11, 2005, after a marathon legal process in Portugal lasting three years.