Maharashtra Govt Grants Two-Day Parole to Abu Salem Amid Legal Review of Jail Term

Gangster Abu Salem, convicted for the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and extradited from Portugal in 2005 under terms limiting his sentence to 25 years, has sought 14 days' emergency parole to attend his brother's funeral. The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that as an "international criminal," Salem can only be granted a two-day parole with police escort, which he must bear the cost for. Salem's lawyer argued that two days are insufficient for travel and that escort is unnecessary. The Supreme Court has asked Salem to substantiate his claim of having served 25 years in jail. The matter is pending further hearings.