Sanjay Dutt granted interim relief till December 19

Mumbai, Nov 28 (UNI) In a major relief to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, the designated TADA court has granted him time till December 19 to surrender before the police after he was found gulity under the Arms act.

Designated TADA Judge P D Kode, while extending his earlier bail and granting time to surrender, directed him not to leave the jurisdiction of Mumbai without the prior permission of the court and also deposit his passport to the registrar of the TADA court. He has also been directed to furnish a surety of Rs five lakh.

The court had also continued his earlier bail bond which was furnished while he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 1995.

While his lawyer Adv Satish Maneshinde was arguing, Dutt looked very impatient. Adv Maneshinde told the court that Dutt may be given four week's time to surrender as his 18-year-old daughter Trishala, who is studying in New York and staying with her grand parents, is solely dependent on him. He also said that his father Sunil Dutt, MP who expired on May 23, 2005, had made a will which has to be probated among the family members and others.

Describing him as hero number one in the Bollywood industry, Adv Satish Maneshinde said a dozens of Dutt's films are due for release. Bollywood has spent crores of rupees on his films, which are yet not completed. He needs time to complete them, he said.

During the arguments, Sanjay Dutt who was tense, intervened with the request to kindly consider his application for a time to surrender. He further said, ''I am a genuine person and making this application purely on humanitarian grounds for the welfare of my daughter.'' He also said that he was not involved in any terrorist activities and found guilty only under the Arms act.

While strongly opposing the plea, Public Prosecutor Ujwal Nikam cited the order of the various courts and contended that once the accused is found guilty, his bail should be cancelled and he should be taken into custody. He said that actor has come with a filmsy ground to grant him time to surrender. ''Why Dutt had not made the arrangements in advance,'' Adv Nikam argued.

Sanjay Dutt was today found guilty under the Arms Act but acquitted under the TADA (P) Act for his role in the 1993 bomb blasts case.

Designated Judge Pramod Kode convicted the actor under sections 3 and 7 read with section 25 (1)(A) and 1-B of the Arms Act. The minimum punishment under the sections, he has been convicted, is five years and maximum ten years. The Judge, however, acquitted him of charges under the TADA Act, saying he is neither a terrorist nor was involved in any terrorist activity.

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