New Delhi: Underworld don and one of the main accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, Abu Salem, has approached the Supreme Court in Portugal against his extradition to India ordered by the High Court in Lisbon.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources said today (Feb 18, 2004) that the Prosecutor General of Portugal has already been briefed by the investigating agency to counter Salem's application in the Supreme Court.

The underworld don requested the Supreme Court for a review of the High Court order for his extradition.

During the trial earlier, Salem had told the court that he would be discriminated against by the Government as he belonged to the minority community, a charge countered by the CBI which handed over copies of judgments given out by various courts in the country in support of its contention that the Indian judiciary was impartial.

The Portugal High Court had last month ordered extradition of Salem to face trial in the serial blasts that rocked the Mumbai city in 1993, killing more than 250 people.

Salem, who was arrested along with his girlfriend and little-known Bollywood actress Monica Bedi and others on September 21, 2002 in Lisbon, was sentenced to four-and-half years imprisonment on three counts -- entering Portugal on forged documents, causing injury to a policeman who was performing his duty and perjury.

The Supreme Court is already hearing a review petition of Monica whose extradition was ordered by the High Court in December last year.