Supreme Court Rejects Abu Salem’s Early Release Plea, Jail Term To Continue Till 2030

New Delhi, Sep 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed gangster Abu Salem’s plea seeking premature release from prison, rejecting his claim that he had already completed the 25-year imprisonment period linked to India’s extradition assurance to Portugal.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta upheld the Bombay High Court’s April 2026 order, which had dismissed Salem’s plea as “premature” and “misconceived”. A detailed verdict is awaited.

Salem, a convict in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal battle. India had assured Portugal on December 17, 2002, that Salem would neither face the death penalty nor imprisonment beyond 25 years if extradited for trial in India.

He was subsequently convicted in two TADA cases and sentenced to life imprisonment in judgments dated February 25, 2015, and September 7, 2017.

Salem argued that his undertrial custody, post-conviction imprisonment and remission earned for good conduct should be counted towards the 25-year period. He claimed he had completed the period by March 31, 2025, making his continued detention illegal.

The Supreme Court, in a 2022 ruling, had clarified that after Abu Salem completes 25 years of imprisonment, the Centre would have to ensure his early release. However, it also made clear that his sentence was not being commuted and that the period spent in Portugal in a passport fraud case would not count towards the 25-year period.

The Bombay High Court had held that Salem’s 25-year period would be completed only in 2030. The Supreme Court, after hearing his challenge, reserved its verdict on July 27.

Senior Advocate Rishi Malhotra represented Salem. (Agencies)