The Bombay High Court has rejected a plea filed by gangster Abu Salem Abdul Qayoom Ansari seeking his immediate release from prison, ruling that he has not yet completed the mandated 25-year sentence.
A division bench comprising Justices A.S. Gadkari and Kamal Khata observed that the petition was premature, as the actual duration of imprisonment served by Salem falls short of the required term.
Salem had approached the court claiming that he completed his 25-year sentence in March 2025. His legal team argued that the total period should include time spent in custody before conviction, along with remissions granted during imprisonment.
The plea relied on a 2022 ruling by the Supreme Court of India, which had limited his sentence to 25 years in line with assurances given to Portugal during his extradition.
Both central and state authorities contested the calculation, stating that Salem had served only around 19 and a half years as of early 2025. They argued that he incorrectly combined sentences from separate cases to justify his claim of completing the term.
Officials further indicated that, as per their assessment, the maximum 25-year sentence would be completed around 2030, while other projections extend his incarceration significantly due to multiple convictions.
Salem is one of the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings, which claimed over 250 lives and injured hundreds. He was extradited to India in 2005 after being arrested in Portugal and later convicted in multiple cases linked to the attacks.
In 2017, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, which was later reduced to a fixed 25-year term by the Supreme Court, considering international legal commitments made during his extradition.
The High Court’s decision now puts a halt to his immediate release efforts, making it clear that he must complete the legally निर्धारित prison term before seeking freedom.
The Impressive Times
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