Bombay High Court Denies Emergency Parole To Abu Salem Over Brother's Death After He Declines To Pay Police Escort Charges

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused permission to underworld gangster Abu Salem to travel to his native place in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, to mourn the death of his brother, Abu Hakim Ansari.

A division bench comprising Justices Ajay Gadkari and Shyam Chandak upheld the order of the Appellate Authority which had allowed Salem emergency parole only on the condition that he pays Rs 17.60 lakh towards High Security Police Escort charges. Salem had earlier refused to pay the amount.

During the hearing, Salem's counsel, Farhana Shah, submitted that her client, who has been in prison for nearly 23 years and 9 months, was not in a position to pay the full escort charges and could only manage Rs 1 lakh, borrowed from a third party. Shah urged the bench to consider the plea on merits despite the financial constraints.

Additional Public Prosecutor Ashish Satpute opposed the plea, highlighting Salem's criminal background, including his role as the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts, his past absconding to evade arrest, and his extradition from Portugal. Satpute also cited concerns of public order in Azamgarh's Saraymir area, which the local police described as “communally sensitive.”

Shah countered the police objections, arguing that Salem had previously been granted parole twice for the deaths of his mother and foster mother without any incident. She emphasized that Salem's visit was purely for condolence prayers and not for celebrations. She also contested the characterization of Salem as an “international gangster,” pointing out that his alleged Portugal case had concluded and that he had no direct involvement in the original 1993 blasts, except for a charge related to handing over arms to actor Sanjay Dutt.

The bench did not grant the parole, reiterating that the escort charges were a mandatory condition for such relief, and Salem's failure to comply remained a bar.