1993 Bombay Blasts:5-yr Jail for Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt

New Delhi, March 21: In a major setback for Bollywood actor

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on Thursday, March 21 upheld the trial court verdict in connection with Bombay blasts 1993 case.

According to the apex court order, the actor has to surrender himself before the Bombay High Court within four weeks. The court reduced his sentence from six years to five years. Hence, the 53-year-old actor, who earlier had spent 18 months in jail, will have to be in the prison for another 3 years and 6 months.

The actor was found guilty for possession of arms and was convicted by a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court under Arms Act.

The apex court on Friday also upheld the death sentence of Yakub Memon, one of the main accused in the 1993 Bombay blasts case, and commuted the sentences of 10 other accused to life imprisonment.

The trial court had convicted all of them for the 13 bomb blasts that took place across the capital of Maharashtra on March 12, 1193.

The serial explosions claimed 257 lives (this is the official death toll but the actual figure is believed to be well over 300). As many as 129 persons were charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act but the TADA court found only 100 of the accused guilty.

The terror attacks in 1993 were masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim, don of the Bombay-based international organised crime syndicate named D-Company.

Police is yet to catch hold of him. Several of the accused during their confession said that the "conspiracy" was hatched to take the revenge of deaths of Muslims during the riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992.

The memories of the day is still fresh in the minds of the victims and their families who are still waiting for justice.

OneIndia News