The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected interim relief for gangster Abu Salem, stating that he has not yet completed the 25-year imprisonment term mandated under his 2002 extradition agreement from Portugal. Salem, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, had filed a petition seeking release, claiming that his sentence, including remission for good behavior, exceeded the 25-year limit agreed upon by India to secure his extradition.

A bench of Justices A.S. Gadkari and Rajesh Patil admitted Salem’s petition but held a prima facie view that, based on a Supreme Court order marking his arrest in October 2005, the 25-year term is not yet complete. The court noted India’s assurance to Portugal that Salem would not face the death penalty and would not be imprisoned beyond 25 years. Posts on X, including from @barandbench, confirmed the court’s stance, noting Salem’s claim of 22 years served, including 2.5 years of remission, was insufficient for immediate release.

Salem, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 by a TADA court for the blasts that killed 257 people, faces additional charges in a 1995 murder case and a 2002 extortion case. The court scheduled his plea for a final hearing later, leaving him in Taloja Central Jail, Navi Mumbai, pending further proceedings.

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