Abu Salem to serve 60 years' prison term, no early release for now: State to court

India Today

2 days ago

The Maharashtra government has said that gangster Abu Salem, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, must serve a full 60-year prison term. In an order dated July 14, 2025, the state said Salem is not entitled to remission for the time being.Remission refers to a reduction in a prisoner's sentence granted by the state, often based on good behaviour or other factors. It allows for early release but does not erase the conviction.advertisementSalem had approached the High Court earlier this year, claiming he was entitled to be released on March 31, 2025, after completing 25 years of imprisonment, including time served as an undertrial and remission earned over the years.
His petition, filed through advocate Farhana Shah, argued that he had earned both general and special remissions and cited a Supreme Court order upholding a commitment made by the Indian government to Portugal that he would not be jailed for more than 25 years.Now, in an affidavit filed on July 30, Nashik Road Central Prison Superintendent Aruna A Mugutrao submitted to the court that the home department had issued an order on July 14 rejecting Salem's claim. The affidavit said Salem would have to serve 60 years to be eligible for remission and can only be released after completing 25 actual years in custody—excluding remissions—due to the sovereign assurance given to Portugal at the time of his extradition.Salem was declared a proclaimed offender on October 15, 1993, and arrested in Lisbon on September 18, 2002. He was extradited from Portugal on November 10, 2005, after India assured the Portuguese government that Salem would not face the death penalty or a sentence beyond 25 years. This assurance was key to securing his handover.But Salem was later convicted in multiple serious cases, including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that killed 257 people and injured over 1,400. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.The prison authorities stated that Salem has a long and serious criminal record, including fleeing the country after the blasts.'Salem has a history which is not a palatable one at all,' the affidavit said. 'After committing many crimes, he fled the country.'The affidavit also noted that a proposal for his early release had been sent to the state home department, along with recommendations from the Advisory Board, the trial court, the police, the district magistrate, and senior prison officials.But the state home department has decided not to approve the request. Citing the enduring trauma of blast victims and the gravity of the crime, it said Salem, like the other bomb blast convicts, would be considered for remission when he serves 60 years."People who suffered in the blast are still bearing the brunt of the horrific tragedy which unfolded in 1993," the government said.- EndsMust Watch