Bombay high court gives Abu Salem time to decide on withdrawing emergency parole plea

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday gave Abu Salem Ansari, who is serving a 25-year prison term at Nashik prison following his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case, until Thursday to state whether he wishes to withdraw his plea for emergency parole to Uttar Pradesh, his hometown, following the Nov 2025 demise of his elder brother.On the last date, the HC indicated willingness to permit the parole at his cost for the escorts. On Tuesday, his counsel Farhana Shah said Salem can pay "Rs 1 lakh" and said, at best, "10-12 police escorts were sufficient". The bench orally said, "We are not bargaining. It is for the state machinery to decide...". The HC division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and SC Chandak said if he doesn't pay for escort charges, then he either withdraw his plea or it would dismiss it. Salem is in custody since his extradition from Portugal in 2005. Shah said he cannot afford the "exorbitant" escort fees of over Rs 17.5 lakh the state had mentioned last Dec for a 41-member team for 4 days, including travel cost.Special public prosecutor for the CBI, Amit Mundeon, supported the state's contention in an affidavit submitted by in-charge public prosecutor MM Deshmukh, to release Salem, who he submitted is an "international gangster", on parole for 2 days under police escort. The state had said that if he absconded, there would be serious issues between the Portuguese and Indian govts.Shah said Salem never abused his liberty earlier when permitted parole sans escort fees. She added that state was raising these demands since he was close to completing his sentence now.