The Maharashtra government on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that gangster Abu Salem could abscond if granted parole, warning that such a move may trigger serious diplomatic consequences with Portugal, from where he was extradited.
Opposing his plea, the government said Salem was an international criminal with a long history of organised crime and at most could be considered for only two days of emergency parole.
The state also argued that his release could pose law and order concerns, a view echoed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which sought to be added as a respondent in the case.
Salem had approached the court seeking 14 days of parole following the death of his elder brother, Abu Hakim Ansari, in November 2025, stating that his application was delayed due to the court’s Christmas vacation.
Salem is currently serving life imprisonment in multiple cases, including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, and has also been sentenced to 25 years in several other criminal matters.
