Overview
- Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed the special leave petition as withdrawn and granted liberty to seek an early hearing in the High Court.
- Salem claims he completed 25 years when adding 3 years and 16 days of good-conduct remission under Maharashtra’s 1962 prison rules, calling his continued custody illegal by more than 10 months.
- The Maharashtra prison department’s affidavit told the High Court that, as of March 31, 2025, Salem had served 19 years, 5 months and 18 days, with the start date and eligibility of remission contested.
- The Bombay High Court in July 2025 made a prima facie finding that 25 years were not complete, referencing prior orders that reckon detention from late 2005 after his extradition from Portugal.
- India’s 2002 assurance to Portugal caps his imprisonment at 25 years and the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling said release must follow on completion, while state and Union filings maintain the threshold is reached only in 2030 without counting remission.