Sanjay Dutt invokes probation act to get relief

Mumbai, Dec 19 (UNI) Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, whose deadline to surrender after conviction under Arms Act in the 1993 bomb blast case was today extended by two days to Thursday, has invoked the Probation of Offenders Act to seek release on probation on grounds of good conduct and behaviour.

Supporting his plea, filed yesterday, his attroney Satish Maneshinde today said Sanjay has never violated any condition of his bail or various exemptions granted to him from time to time by the TADA court and his conduct and behaviour has been impeccable.

The hearing on his petition was deferred to December 21 by the TADA court of Pramod Kode today when CBI counsel Ujwal Nikam sought time to file reply.

Sanjay, in his plea, also sought time to surrender untill the court gives its final verdict or when it deems fit.

Final verdict in the blast case, legal sources said, would take much time as defence has so far completed arguments on quantum of sentence in respect of only 35 of the 100 convicts. Prosecution will field its arguments only after defence has accomplished its task in respect of all the 100 convicts, out of 123 who faced trial in the case. The remaining 23 have been acquitted.

The Final verdict will come when the judge start pronouncing detailed sentence orders in respect of each of the 100 convicts.

Pronounced guilty on November 28 for illegally possessing 9 mm pistol and an AK-56 rifle, Sanjay recorded his statement on quantum of sentence two days later. But the court has yet to hear arguments of his counsel and prosecution on quantum of sentence. The turn of Sanjay, listed at number 117 on the chargesheet against 123, would come much later.

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