3 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 4, 2026 12:32 am IST
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said Abu Salem, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, who has sought emergency parole citing the death of his elder brother, “cannot negotiate” payment of escort expenses. This came after Salem’s lawyer said he could not afford escort charges of more than Rs. 1 lakh if he is granted 4 days parole.
A bench comprising Justices Ajey S Gadkari and Shyam C Chandak was hearing the plea of Salem, who was arrested on November 24, 2005 and convicted in the 1993 blasts case in September 2017. He was also convicted in Portugal for traveling on a fake passport.
State government prison authorities had claimed that Salem could be paroled for a maximum of two days with police escort (the charges would be borne by him) to visit Saraimir village in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district, a “communally sensitive” area, to reunite with his family following the death of his elder brother Abu Hakim Ansari in November last year.
On January 28, the HC had sought a response from lawyer Farhana Shah representing Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in 2005, on whether he can pay escort expenses if he is granted four-day bail.
Shah had then argued that Salem was “not in a position to pay” very high “escort fees due to his financial considerations and so many years in custody.”
On Tuesday, Shah told the HC that his client cannot pay more than Rs. 1 lakh towards escort expenses, while the estimated charges were nearly 17.76 lakh and he should be granted urgent help as several days had passed since his brother’s death.
He also claimed that Salem was earlier allowed to visit his native place in Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh to attend his mother’s funeral in 2007 without demanding payment of escort charges. He stated that escort of 25 police officers will be provided, while the petitioner may need 10 such officers.
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“You have to pay the state charges. Do not go (on parole) if you cannot pay. This is not a matter of negotiation. It is for the state machinery to decide,” the HC orally told Salem.
The court then asked Shah to take further instructions from Salem on whether he wanted to withdraw the plea as he is unable to pay the escort charges, after which it can pass appropriate orders on Thursday, February 5.