The Supreme Court of India dismissed a writ petition on Friday filed by 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict Abu Salem seeking premature release from prison, ruling unequivocally that his sovereign extradition terms mandate continuous incarceration until November 2030.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Prasanna B. Varale rejected the arguments advanced by Salem counsel, who claimed that his period of pre-extradition detention in Portugal should be credited toward an early remission of sentence. The apex court reiterated its previous constitutional finding that the solemn sovereign assurance given by the Government of India to Portuguese authorities in 2002 fixed Salem maximum prison term at twenty-five years, which strictly concludes only upon reaching the specified date in 2030.
The judges noted that executive clemency or statutory remission provisions under domestic state prison rules cannot override binding international diplomatic treaties and sovereign undertakings. The court directed prison authorities to continue Salem custodial detention in accordance with established security protocols for high-security convict categories.
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