Abu Salem, the underworld don, has requested emergency parole from the Bombay High Court to travel to Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, for family and religious ceremonies after his elder brother’s passing. Abu Hakim Ansari, his brother, passed away on November 14, 2025, prompting Salem to seek permission to attend the 40th-day rituals, recite the Quran, pray at the cemetery, and meet relatives. Despite previous attempts for parole during his brother’s illness, legal delays prevented a timely hearing, leading Salem to reapply after his brother’s demise.
Abu Salem’s plea for emergency parole on humanitarian grounds was submitted to the court on December 1, following his brother’s death. Although initially granted parole with an escort, financial constraints hindered his ability to bear the associated costs. Advocate Farhana Shah, representing Salem, highlighted the timely filing of the application, which was delayed due to the court’s winter vacation. The court acknowledged that the 40-day period, as per Muslim tradition, had lapsed.
The Bombay High Court, presided over by Justices A.S. Gadkari and Shyam C. Chandak, is deliberating on whether to grant Abu Salem the requested emergency parole. Currently incarcerated at Nashik Central Jail, Salem had previously been granted parole in 2009 and 2011 following his mother’s demise, complying with surrender conditions on both occasions. Serving a life sentence since 2005 for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bombings and the 1995 murder of Pradeep Jain, Salem’s sentence was later reduced to 25 years post-extradition from Portugal in 2005.
Abu Salem had also sought clarification from the court last year regarding the completion of his 25-year prison term.
