Abu Salem to stay in jail till 2030, Bombay High Court rules out early release
Salem had filed an appeal against that order and pointed out that when he was extradited, the Indian government had assured Portugal that he would not be sentenced for more than 25 years. It was in this context that the Supreme Court observed that he could be sentenced to 2030 only.His lawyers, Rishi Malhotra and Farhana Shah, contended that Salem had earned three years and 16 days of remission for good conduct, along with a one-month credit granted by the Supreme Court for time spent in custody in Portugal. They claimed that these factors pushed his total sentence duration beyond 25 years, making him eligible for release.However, the Central Bureau of Investigation strongly opposed this argument. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the CBI, submitted that Salem was mixing up the calculations to meet the 25-year threshold. Singh also said that Salem should approach the Supreme Court for clarification if he believes its earlier order was not being followed properly.When Malhotra insisted that the 2030 timeline failed to account for the remission period, the bench responded sharply, saying, 'Are you saying that the Supreme Court order is wrong? Even applying simple logic, 25 years is yet to be completed.'The court admitted Salem's plea and agreed to an expedited hearing, but no date has been set.- EndsMust Watch
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