The Maharashtra government has agreed to grant 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Abu Salem a two-day emergency parole to meet his family following the death of his brother, informing the Bombay High Court of its decision.
The state told the court that Salem, described as an “international criminal,” must be released with a police escort, making extended parole or release without security unacceptable.
Salem’s lawyer opposed the decision, arguing that two days is insufficient to travel to Azamgarh and back, and that escort arrangements would be impractical and costly, given he has spent over 25 years in jail.
Maharashtra Govt Approves Two-Day Emergency Parole For Abu Salem To Meet Family
The decision was conveyed to the Bombay High Court during the hearing of Salem’s plea seeking 14 days of emergency parole.
Summary
The Maharashtra government has agreed to grant a two-day emergency parole to gangster and 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Abu Salem to enable him to meet his family following the death of his brother, Abu Hakim Ansari.
The decision was conveyed to the Bombay High Court during the hearing of Salem’s plea seeking 14 days of emergency parole. Chief Public Prosecutor Mankunwar Deshmukh informed the court that the state government had taken a decision to allow Salem’s release on emergency parole for a limited period of two days.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Shyam Chandak. The state government submitted that since Salem is classified as an “international criminal,” he cannot be released without a police escort. The court was told that adequate security arrangements would be mandatory during the parole period.
Salem’s counsel, Farhana Shah, objected to the government’s stance, arguing that it would not be practically possible for her client to travel from Mumbai to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and return within two days. She also contended that Salem should be granted parole without an escort, pointing out that he has already spent over 25 years in prison.
Shah further submitted that deploying an escort party would impose a heavy financial burden, with costs running into lakhs of rupees. She urged the court to consider extending the parole period and relaxing the escort condition.
Abu Salem is currently serving a life sentence in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case and other criminal cases. The court is expected to consider the submissions and pass further orders in the matter.
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