Supreme Court Rejects Abu Salem's Plea for Premature Release

The Supreme Court dismissed gangster Abu Salem's plea for release on Thursday, ruling that he has not yet completed the 25-year prison term mandated by a sovereign assurance given to Portugal.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta rejected the appeal, noting that the 25-year period commenced on November 11, 2005, following his extradition, and is set to expire in November 2030.

Salem, convicted for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that killed 257 people, had argued that his incarceration period should be calculated from his 2002 detention in Portugal.