The Supreme Court has dismissed the plea filed by gangster Abu Salem seeking his release from custody in the 1993 Bombay Blast Case, claiming that he has completed 25 years in jail in India as mandated under the terms of his extradition from Portugal.

The Court had reserved the order in the plea on July 27, 2026.

The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta ordered, "We, therefore, find no infirmity in the judgment dated 15th April 2026 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Bombay in Writ Petition No. 1586 of 2025. The impugned judgment is accordingly upheld. Consequently, the present appeal stands dismissed in limine."


Salem filed a plea challenging an April order of the Bombay High Court, which had dismissed his petition seeking immediate release as "premature" and "misconceived".

Salem, a convict in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal battle.

According to the extradition terms agreed upon by India and Portugal, Salem cannot be given the death penalty and his prison term cannot exceed 25 years.

In its order, the High Court had noted that Salem's attempt to include earned remissions to shorten the 25-year cap was "legally unsustainable".

"The petitioner cannot claim an automatic reduction of the 25-year term by inclusion of earned remissions. Earned remissions are under the prison rules and therefore, it has no application," the High Court had said.

It had noted that Salem was first arrested on November 11, 2005, and a simple calculation of the 25-year period from the said date will expire in November 2030.

Salem was convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment in another case.

In its July 2022 verdict on Salem's separate plea, the Apex Court had said the Centre was "bound" to honour its commitment given to Portugal and release Salem on the completion of his 25-year sentence.

Previously, the Court had refused to entertain a plea claiming that he was in "illegal custody" for over 10 months as he had already undergone the 25-year sentence awarded to him in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

In its July 2022 verdict on Salem's separate plea, the Apex Court had said the Centre was "bound" to honour its commitment given to Portugal and release Salem on completion of his 25-year sentence in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

The assurance was given to Portugal that the gangster would not be handed down the death penalty or imprisonment for a term beyond 25 years.

In February 2015, a special TADA court had awarded life imprisonment to Salem in another case for murdering Mumbai-based builder Pradeep Jain in 1995.

Cause Title: Abu Salem v. The State of Maharashtra and Ors. [SLP(Crl) No. 12871/2026]

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(This is a pronouncement story; the judgment was uploaded later)


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