The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that granting parole to gangster Abu Salem risked absconding and could trigger serious diplomatic complications with Portugal, the extraditing nation. Opposing his plea, it suggested only two days emergency parole maximum.
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court that granting parole to gangster Abu Salem could lead to him absconding and potentially create serious diplomatic issues between India and Portugal, the country from which he was extradited.
In an affidavit submitted to the court, the government opposed Salem’s request for 14 days of parole due to the death of his elder brother, suggesting that he should only be granted emergency parole for two days at most.
When the plea was heard by Justices A.S. Gadkari and Shyam Chandak, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) requested to be included as a respondent, citing its role as the prosecuting agency. The CBI expressed concerns that granting bail to Salem could lead to law and order issues.
Inspector General of Prisons Suhas Warke’s affidavit stated that Salem is an international gangster who has engaged in criminal activities for decades. It noted that Salem was extradited from Portugal under specific conditions agreed upon by both nations.
The affidavit highlighted,
“If the petitioner is granted parole, then he will abscond again, as even in 1993 he fled the country,”
It further stated that the Government of India must adhere to the terms it agreed upon with Portugal during Salem’s extradition.
The affidavit emphasized,
“If the petitioner absconds now, then there will be serious issues between the two countries, as well as a threat to society,”
Salem had been convicted in Portugal for using a fake passport. He was arrested in Lisbon and extradited to India in November 2005.
After Salem applied for parole, a report was requested from the Uttar Pradesh police regarding his intended travel. The police submitted an adverse report, noting that the area of Saraymir in Azamgarh, where Salem wished to go, is communally sensitive. As a result, his request for 14 days of parole was denied.
The affidavit stated that he could be granted two days of emergency parole, with the time spent traveling counted toward his sentence.
It was also noted that Salem fled India in 1993 to avoid arrest. He has received life sentences in three cases, including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, and has been sentenced to 25 years for several other offenses. In his plea filed last month, Salem sought parole following the death of his elder brother, Abu Hakim Ansari, in November 2025, asserting that his application was delayed due to the court’s Christmas vacation.
Salem claimed he had applied for emergency 14 days parole from jail authorities on November 15 to attend his brother’s last rites, but his request was rejected in an order dated November 20, 2025. He also mentioned that since his arrest in November 2005, he had only been granted short parole leaves following the deaths of his mother and stepmother.
The court scheduled a hearing for the plea on January 28.