Gangster and 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Abu Salem has suffered a setback in the Supreme Court after it dismissed his plea seeking premature release from prison. The top court upheld the Bombay High Court's decision, which had rejected Salem's plea on the ground that it was filed prematurely. Salem had approached the Supreme Court claiming that he had completed 25 years of his sentence after taking into account the remission, or reduction in sentence, available to him.
Based on this calculation, he sought an order directing his release from prison. However, the Bombay High Court had earlier held that Salem's plea was premature. The court said his 25-year sentence period would be completed only in 2030. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta upheld the April order of the Bombay High Court.
Supreme Court upholds Bombay High Court order
Salem challenged the Bombay High Court's order before the Supreme Court, seeking relief from the court and reiterating his claim that he had already completed the required period of imprisonment after accounting for remission. However, the apex court dismissed his plea and agreed with the Bombay High Court's view that his request for premature release was not maintainable at this stage. The apex court had reserved its verdict on Salem's plea on July 27.
SC refused to entertain Salem's plea in Feb
Earlier in February this year, the top court had refused to entertain a plea filed by Salem seeking early release. According to the extradition terms agreed upon by India and Portugal, Salem cannot be given death penalty and his prison term cannot exceed 25 years. While hearing the matter on January 12, the apex court had asked Salem to justify his claim that he has spent 25 years in jail, a contention if proven will allow him to walk free from jail.
Abu Salem's case
Abu Salem is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 Bombay bombings and other cases. He was extradited from Portugal to India in 2005 and has been jailed since then. On September 18, 2002, Abu Salem was detained in LISBON (Portugal). After lengthy proceedings in the Court of Appeal in Lisbon and the Constitutional Court of Portugal, the extradition of Abu Salem was granted, and his custody was transferred to Indian authorities on November 10, 2005.
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