Why Abu Salem did not get death penalty for 1993 Bombay Blasts: 5-point guide

Mafia gangster Abu Salem was spared the gallows by the special TADA court in the 1993 Bombay Blasts case on Thursday.

Salem, who was earlier convicted in June, played a crucial role in carrying out the 13 blasts that rocked India's financial capital and killed 257 people.

So, how does a criminal escape the hangman's noose?

Here's your guide to the complicated world of extradition treaty.

1: Extradition treaty with Portugal: The simple explanation behind no death penalty for Abu Salem is the 2007 extradition treaty between India and Portugal.

2: Terms of the extradition: According to the treaty, any person extradited to India from Portugal cannot be awarded a death sentence as the country had abolished capital punishment in 1867. Another condition is that maximum sentence that can be awarded to the the person is 25 years in jail.

3: Quantum of punishment: In accordance with the extradition treaty, the special TADA court could not award death penalty to Abu Salem. Hence, the court sentenced him to 25 years in jail, the maximum punishment allowed in the clauses of the treaty.

4: No death clause led to the extradition: It was this very no-death clause that helped India to extradite Abu Salem and his girlfriend Monica Bedi from Lisbon in 2005.

5: Life of the gangster: The 50-year-old gangster, who was also implicated in Gulshan Kumar's murder case in 1997, was arrested in Lisbon with a fake passport. There were reports that even in Indian jail, he led a lavish life.