Maharashtra Govt Agrees To Grant 2-Day Emergency Parole To Abu Salem, Says Escort Mandatory As He Is 'International Criminal'

The Maharashtra Government informed the Bombay High Court on Tuesday (January 13) that it has agreed to grant 2 days emergency parole to gangster and convict in 1993 Mumbai Blasts Case Abu Salem to meet his family.The State government however said that it has asked Salem to pay the escort charges adding that he cannot be released without an escort party since he is an "international criminal."A division bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Shyam Chandak is seized with a plea filed by Salem through his lawyer Farhana Shah, seeking 14 days emergency parole, in view of the death of his brother Abu Hakim Ansari, who died on November 14, 2025.When the matter was called out on Tuesday morning, Chief Public Prosecutor Mankunwar Deshmukh, representing the State, informed the bench that a decision has been taken to release Salem on an emergency parole for 2 days. "The jail authorities have said they can leave him for 2 days but he will have to pay the escort charges too," Deshmukh told the judges. However, Shah objected to the same, informing the judges that Salem has to travel to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. "Travelling from Mumbai to Azamgarh itself takes 25 to 26 hours... How can we return within 2 days?" Shah submitted. The judges sought to know from Deshmukh about the charges of escort party to which she furnished some documents and stated that the same would run into lakhs. To this, Shah said that since her client has already spent 25 years in jail, he should in fact be now released on parole even without escorts. "There is no need for escorts... My client is in jail since 25 years now... He is entitled to parole so he can be released without escorts," Shah submitted. Objecting to this, Deshmukh remarked, "No he is an international criminal... He cannot be let out without escorts."However, Shah maintained that her client is an Indian citizen and is entitled to parole relief. At this, the bench asked Deshmukh to file a proper reply, spelling out the State's apprehensions and the escort charges etc in the said reply. The matter has been adjourned for a week. According to Salem's plea, he had applied for an emergency 14 day parole before the jail authorities to attend the last rites and related rituals of his now late bother, on November 15, 2025 itself. However, by an order dated November 20, 2025, his plea was rejected by the jail authorities.In his plea, Salem has alleged that he being entitled to regular parole leaves, had applied for regular leaves at least three months before his brother's death. He stated that since he was aware that his brother is severely ill, he had applied for regular leaves, however, he alleged that the jail authorities deliberately kept the said plea pending and did not decide the same till November 14, 2025, the day when his brother died. This, he claims has been done purposely by the jail authorities as they did not want him to avail his regular parole leaves. Salem has further pointed out that since his arrest in November 2005, he has been in jail and was only granted parole leaves of few days after the death of his mother and also of his step mother.

Maharashtra Govt Agrees To Grant 2-Day Emergency Parole To Abu Salem, Says Escort Mandatory As He Is 'International Criminal'

Narsi Benwal

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