New Delhi, March 21/Nationalturk: In a major setback to Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, Indian Supreme Court Thursday sentenced the star to over three years in jail in a case related to 1993 Mumbai serial blasts for possessing illegal weapons.
TADA court in 2006 had convicted him and awarded six years jail to 53-year-old Sanjay Dutt, son of famous bollywood couple late Sunil Dutt and Nargis.
The Apex court today upheld his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case which it said was organised by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and others.
The Supreme Court reduced to five years the six year jail term awarded to Sanjay Dutt by TADA court. The court, however, ruled out his release on probation saying the nature of his offence was serious.
“The circumstances and the nature of the offence is so serious that we are of the view that he (Sanjay Dutt) cannot take the benefit of provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act to release him on probation. We reduce the punishment of six years to minimum of five years under the Arms Act,” the court said and directed him to surrender within four weeks.
Sanjay Dutt has already spent one and half years in jail and was out on bail. He was convicted by the TADA court for illegal possession a 9 mm Pistol and a AK-56 rifle, which prosecution said was part of the consignment of weapons and explosives brought to India for the coordinated serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 that killed 257 people and injured over 700.
The Apex Court also upheld the death sentence of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, brother of one of the absconding main conspirators Tiger Memon and life sentences of 16 of the 18 convicts. It, however, commuted the death sentence of 10 others to life sentence.
Sanjay Dutt has accepted judgement: Lawyer
The Bollywood star’s lawyer Satishmane Shinde told media persons that he had spoken to the actor after the verdict. “He told me I have accepted the judgement as it is. I have accepted it,” he quoted the actor as saying.
Stating that Dutt will abide by the apex court’s order of undergoing the sentence of three-and-a-half years in letter and spirit, he said they will pursue all the legal courses available with them. “I am not sure what relief he can claim”.
The actor himself remained closeted with his family at his penthouse in Pali Hill in suburban Bandra, Mumbai. A battery of journalists were present outside his residence to seek his comments but he did not come out to talk to them.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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