Why Abu Salem withdrew plea in Bombay High Court against his transfer to Nashik jail

Abu Salem, a key figure convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bombings, has withdrawn his petition from the Bombay High Court, where he sought to challenge his proposed transfer from Taloja Central Prison to Nashik Central Prison. [Abu Salem Abdul Qayyam v. CBI].Salem chose to withdraw his plea after he was moved to Nashik jail on July 4, prior to the court hearing, thus rendering his petition infructuous. As a result, the bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Manjusha Deshpande disposed of the case on August 1.Salem, currently serving a life sentence, had approached the Bombay High Court to block his transfer from Taloja jail citing threats to his life. He first moved the sessions court which denied his request on June 25 though it instructed prison authorities to delay the transfer until July 3..Taloja prison officials had argued before the sessions court that the high-security section housing Salem was in urgent need of repair, which necessitated his transfer. They maintained that this was the sole reason behind the decision.In his petition, the 62-year-old convict claimed that the transfer was unwarranted and driven by malicious intent. He suggested that he could be relocated to another secure area within the spacious Taloja facility while repairs were being made, rather than moving him to another prison..Salem also highlighted his good conduct during his imprisonment and pointed out that he had previously been attacked twice at Taloja. He expressed concerns that his safety would be further compromised if transferred, noting the presence of rival gang members in other Maharashtra jails, including Nashik. He cited recent murders in Nashik and Kolhapur jails as further evidence of the potential danger he faced.Despite these concerns, he was transferred to Nashik jail on July 4. Salem then opted to withdraw his petition before the Bombay High Court which was permitted. .Advocate Ashwini Achari and advocate Taraq Sayed appeared for Abu Salem.Public Prosecutor HS Venegavkar and advocate MM Deshmukh appeared for State..[Read Order]