Supreme Court dismisses Abu Salem's plea for early release in 1993 blasts case

The core issue is whether his calculation of time served, including jail-earned remission and overlapping custody periods, legally satisfies the 25-year requirement.

Who it concerns: Appellant: Abu Salem Abdul Qayoom Ansari; Respondents: The State of Maharashtra & Ors.; Bench: Justice Vikram Nath.

What the court decided

• The Court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the High Court's judgment dated 15th April, 2026.
• The Court held that the appellant had not legally completed the 25-year period prescribed by the 2022 judgment.
• The Court rejected the appellant's computation of custody, finding it flawed due to overlapping periods counted twice for concurrent sentences.
• The Court rejected the claim for jail-earned remission, noting that the 2022 judgment did not convert the life sentences into fixed-term sentences.
• The Court stated that the sovereign assurance to Portugal fixes the outer limit of imprisonment but does not permit artificial or accelerated computation of custody.

Also in the document

• The Court noted that the appellant's extradition was secured upon a solemn sovereign assurance by the Government of India to Portugal that he would not face the death penalty or imprisonment exceeding 25 years.
• The Court emphasized that the sentences in the two cases were directed to run concurrently, preventing the same period of incarceration from being counted twice.
• The Court observed that the 2022 judgment reaffirmed the sovereign assurance but did not alter the life sentences imposed by the TADA Courts.