A division bench comprising Justices Ajay Gadkari and Shyam Chandak dismissed the plea after Salem’s lawyer told the court that his client could not afford the high security escort charges demanded by the authorities
Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal to India on November 11, 2005. File Pic
The Bombay High Court on Thursday rejected a plea by jailed gangster Abu Salem seeking parole, after he expressed his inability to pay the police escort charges required by prison authorities, reported the PTI.
Abu Salem is currently serving a 25-year jail sentence in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
Salem had applied for emergency parole to travel to his native village in Uttar Pradesh following the death of his elder brother, Abu Hakim Ansari, in November last year.
He said he wished to attend the last rites and related mourning rituals.
A division bench comprising Justices Ajay Gadkari and Shyam Chandak dismissed the plea after Salem’s lawyer told the court that his client could not afford the high security escort charges demanded by the authorities, according to the PTI.
During an earlier hearing, Salem’s lawyer had informed the court that he would not be able to pay more than Rs 1 lakh towards escort expenses.
The court had then observed that Salem “cannot bargain” and would have to pay the full mandatory charges if he wanted parole.
Based on this submission, the bench refused to grant him relief.
Jail authorities had earlier rejected request
In his petition filed in December 2025, the gangster said his application was delayed due to the court’s Christmas vacation.
He stated that he had applied for a 14-day emergency parole on November 15, shortly after his brother’s death, as per the PTI.
However, jail authorities rejected his request on November 20.
Abu Salem also pointed out that since his arrest in November 2005, he has largely remained in custody and was granted short parole only after the deaths of his mother and stepmother, as per the PTI.
Convictions in multiple serious cases
Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal to India on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal process. He is a convicted accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
In a separate case, a special TADA court sentenced him to life imprisonment for the 1995 murder of Mumbai-based builder Pradeep Jain.
Maharashtra govt had opposed Salem's parole
Earlier, Maharashtra govt has opposed the parole of gangster Abu Salem and told the Bombay High Court that he would flee if granted it, reported the PTI.
The state stated that granting parole to Abu Salem could lead to him absconding, which may cause serious diplomatic issues between India and Portugal, the country from which he was extradited.
In an affidavit filed before the court last month, the state opposed Salem’s plea seeking 14 days of parole following the death of his elder brother. The government said that, at most, Salem could be granted two days of emergency parole, according to the PTI.
When the petition came up for hearing before a bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Shyam Chandak, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it was the prosecuting agency in the case and therefore should be impleaded as a respondent.
The CBI had further argued that granting parole or bail to Salem could lead to serious law and order problems, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
