Abu Salem Moves Bombay High Court Seeking Emergency Parole After Brother’s Death

Mumbai, Jan 2026 : Underworld don Abu Salem has approached the Bombay High Court seeking emergency parole on humanitarian grounds following the death of his elder brother, Abu Hakim Ansari. Salem has sought permission to travel to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh to participate in family and religious rituals connected with his brother’s demise.

According to the petition filed on his behalf, Abu Hakim Ansari passed away on November 14, 2025. Describing his elder brother as a father figure, Salem stated that he wishes to attend the 40th-day rituals, take part in Quran recitation, offer prayers at the cemetery, and meet his family members during the mourning period.

The plea notes that Salem had earlier applied for parole when his brother was critically ill. However, the application could not be taken up in time due to procedural delays and court holidays. Following his brother’s death, Salem again moved the Bombay High Court on December 1, seeking emergency parole on compassionate grounds.

While the court had permitted parole with an escort party, Salem informed the court that he was unable to bear the expenses associated with the escort arrangement. His counsel argued that the inability to arrange funds should not deprive him of the opportunity to perform last rites and religious obligations.

Appearing for Abu Salem, advocate Farhana Shah submitted that the parole application was filed within the stipulated time frame, but the matter could not be heard earlier due to the Bombay High Court’s winter vacation. She urged the court to consider the plea in view of humanitarian considerations and Salem’s past conduct during parole.

During the hearing, however, the court observed that as per Muslim tradition, the 40-day mourning period had already elapsed. The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justices A.S. Gadkari and Shyam C. Chandak, which reserved its decision on whether Salem should be granted emergency parole.

Abu Salem is currently lodged in Nashik Central Jail. He has been in custody since 2005 after being convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with two high-profile cases—the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, which claimed 257 lives and injured over 1,400 people, and the 1995 murder of builder Pradeep Jain.

Following his extradition from Portugal in 2005 under an extradition treaty, his sentence was later commuted to 25 years’ imprisonment. Salem has previously been granted parole in 2009 and 2011 following the death of his mother and had surrendered within the stipulated time on both occasions.

Last year, Salem also approached the court seeking clarity on the completion of his 25-year prison term. The High Court’s decision on his latest plea is awaited.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)