New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by gangster Abu Salem seeking release from custody on claims that he has served 25 years in prison in India as mandated under the terms of his extradition agreement with Portugal.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta upheld an April ruling by the Bombay High Court, which had rejected his plea for immediate release as "premature" and "misconceived".

The apex court handed down its decision on Salem's appeal challenging the high court ruling.

A detailed written judgment is awaited.

Salem, a convict in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case, was extradited from Portugal on 11 November 2005 following an extended legal process.

Under the extradition conditions agreed upon between India and Portugal, Salem cannot be sentenced to death, and his total period of imprisonment cannot exceed 25 years.

PTI