Bombay High Court rejects Abu Salem’s plea for parole to get married

Abu Salem filed a plea for parole to get married. (File)

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said it was not inclined to grant parole to gangster Abu Salem, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 in the 1993 blast case and builder Pradeep Jain murder case. Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005.

Salem (46), presently lodged at the Taloja Central Prison, in his petition stated that after his conviction, he had filed an application for parole before the Divisional Commissioner, Konkan region, on the ground of his own marriage as he was in love with a woman and intended to marry her. That application was rejected. He then filed an appeal before the Home department, which dismissed it stating that he cannot be granted parole for his marriage and that he was convicted for serious offences.

A Division Bench of acting Chief Justice V K Tahilramani and Justice M S Sonak said it was “not inclined to grant parole to the petitioner”. The Bench said as per Maharashtra Prison rules, a convict cannot be granted parole or furlough.

Salem’s petition stated that “having regard to the peculiarity, affection and love attached to the relation between the petitioner and the woman who intends to get married, his present request may kindly be considered on humanitarian grounds at the earliest… he cannot shun off his duty towards her since he has promised to marry her and she also does not want to get married to anyone else other than him”. According to the petition, the most important ground for parole was that a prisoner should be allowed to maintain family and social ties.