Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused to grant emergency parole to gangster Abu Salem to visit his native place in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, after he declined to bear the cost of security and travel arrangements, estimated at around Rs 17 lakh.
The court had earlier made it clear that if Salem wished to avail parole, he would have to pay the entire expenditure, including police escort and security logistics, given the sensitivity surrounding his movement.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Salem’s counsel submitted that the estimated cost exceeded Rs 17 lakh and described the amount as “exorbitant”. He argued that Salem, who has been incarcerated for nearly 25 years, was not in a financial position to pay such a large sum.
However, the court declined to accept the argument. The judge noted that the conditions imposed were necessary in view of security concerns and could not be relaxed.
Salem’s lawyer contended that his client could afford to pay only up to Rs 1 lakh. He also pointed out that Salem had earlier been allowed to visit his native place at the time of his mother’s death, when no such charges were levied.
The emergency parole plea was filed following the death of Salem’s elder brother, Abu Hakim Ansari, who passed away on November 14, 2025.
Opposing the plea, the state government told the court that Salem’s ancestral village near Saraimeer in Azamgarh is a sensitive area and that his presence there could potentially lead to a breach of peace.
The government submitted that while it was willing to grant Salem four days of parole on humanitarian grounds, this would be subject to strict security arrangements, the cost of which would have to be borne by the prisoner.
The court observed that it was inclined to allow Salem four days of parole, excluding travel time, with full police escort and security cover, provided he paid the expenses involved. As Salem expressed his inability to meet the cost, the court refused to grant parole.
The matter is scheduled to be heard next on February 5.
Salem has been in prison since 2005, after being convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in two cases — the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, which killed 257 people and injured over 1,400, and the 1995 murder of builder Pradeep Jain.
However, following his extradition from Portugal in 2005 under an extradition treaty, his sentence was later commuted to 25 years’ imprisonment.
Last year, Abu Salem had also moved the court seeking clarification on the completion of his 25-year prison term.
(IANS)
