Abu Salem international criminal, can be given only 2-day parole: Maharashtra govt to HC
Mumbai (PTI): Gangster Abu Salem, convicted in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, is an "international criminal" and hence can be granted only two-day emergency parole with police escort, the Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Tuesday.
Salem had sought 14 days' parole, citing his elder brother's death.
Public prosecutor Mankhuwar Deshmukh said a 14-day parole was not possible as Salem is an "international criminal".
"The prison authority has said he can be given two days' parole along with police escort, the cost of which he will have to bear," Deshmukh told the court.
Salem's lawyer, Farhana Shah, said two days will not be enough as he has to travel to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.
ALSO READ: Will ask states to pay heavy compensation for dog-bite incidents, hold dog feeders accountable: SC
"There is also no need for any police escort. He has been in jail for over two decades and is seeking emergency parole," Shah said, adding that Salem is an Indian citizen.
A bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Shyam Chandak directed the government to file an affidavit stating its apprehension to grant Salem 14 days' parole, and posted the matter for further hearing next week.
Salem, in his plea filed in December 2025, sought parole as his elder brother, Abu Hakim Ansari, passed away in November last year.
He had said his plea got delayed due to the court's Christmas vacation.
According to Salem's plea, he had applied for an emergency 14-day parole from the jail authorities to attend the last rites and related rituals of his late brother on November 15 itself.
However, the jail authorities rejected his plea by an order dated November 20, 2025.
Salem further pointed out that since his arrest in November 2005, he has been in jail and was only granted parole leaves of a few days after the death of his mother and also after the demise of his stepmother.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Education first: Nanded woman appears for Class 12 exam with her 10-day-old baby
Nanded (Maharashtra) (PTI): A woman carried her 10-day-old baby while appearing for her Class 12 Maharashtra board examination in Nanded city, prompting authorities to set up a special mother-friendly facility at the exam centre, officials said.
Shital Chandrakant Chitte (21) arrived at the centre on Wednesday for her Political Science exam with her newborn. Earlier, just two days after delivery, she had also appeared for the English exam on February 10, accompanied by her sister.
Appreciating her determination towards education, the People's College authorities created a dedicated 'Matrusneh Kaksha' (mother-friendly room) and arranged a cradle for the baby, allowing Chitte to write her exam while her child rested.
ALSO READ: Amid Epstein files controversy, Bill Gates to skip keynote address at India AI Impact Summit
Married two years ago, Chitte, a student of Shri Basweshwar College here, said she had no one at home to look after the baby as her husband leaves for work during the day.
With the Class 12 examination crucial for her future, she chose not to miss it, and her family has supported her decision to continue her education, Chitte said.
Nanded education officer Madhav Salgar appreciated the college's move to form a separate facility for the student during the exam.
"Henceforth, we, on behalf of the administration, will make arrangements at exam centres for such students to motivate them," he told PTI.
Maharashtra board's Latur divisional president Sudhakar Telang claimed this is the first such initiative in the state.
The Maharashtra board's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations began on February 10 and are being conducted smoothly at the centre, where 861 candidates are appearing.
