Salem, a convict in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, had sought a 14-day parole citing the death of his elder brother. Public prosecutor Mankhuwar Deshmukh opposed the request, arguing that parole was not possible as Salem is an “international criminal"
Gangster Abu Salem. File pic
Opposing gangster Abu Salem’s 14-day parole application, the Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Tuesday that the 1993 serial bomb blasts convict is an "international criminal" and hence, can be granted only two-day emergency parole with police escort, news agency PTI reported.
Salem had sought a 14-day parole in the court, citing his elder brother's death. Public prosecutor Mankhuwar Deshmukh, however, said that a two-week parole was not possible as Salem is an "international criminal".
While opposing Salem’s parole application, Deshmukh said, "The prison authority has said he can be given two days' parole along with a police escort, the cost of which he will have to bear."
Meanwhile, Salem's lawyer, Farhana Shah, said that two days will not be enough, as he has to travel to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, PTI reported.
Shah, while putting up the parole application for Salem, argued, "There is also no need for any police escort. He has been in jail for over two decades and is seeking emergency parole."
A bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Shyam Chandak directed the government to file an affidavit stating its apprehension to grant Salem a 14-day parole and posted the matter for further hearing next week, PTI reported.
Abu Salem had applied for 14-day parole previously
Salem, in his plea filed in December 2025, sought parole, following the death of his elder brother, Abu Hakim Ansari, in November. The counsel for the prosecution said that his plea got delayed due to the court's Christmas vacation.
According to Salem's plea, he had applied for an emergency 14-day parole from the jail authorities to attend the last rites and related rituals of his late brother on November 15 itself.
However, the jail authorities rejected his petition in an order dated November 20, 2025.
Salem had pointed out that since his arrest in November 2005, he has been in jail, and was only granted parole leaves of a few days after the deaths of his mother and stepmother.
Also, earlier in July last year, Bombay High Court expressed its prima facie (at first glance) opinion that gangster Abu Salem has not yet completed 25 years in jail in India, as mandated under the terms since his extradition from Portugal.
(With inputs from PTI)
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