Mumbai: TADA court admits Sanjay Dutt's plea

Mumbai, Feb 23: The Designated TADA court here today admitted cine actor and 1993 serial blasts convict Sanjay Dutt's plea seeking relief under the Probation of Offenders Act and directed the prosecution to file a reply on February 28 on his plea.

TADA judge P D Kode passed the order on a plea moved by the actor's lawyer Satish Manshinde to call for a probation officer's report while considering his application for relief to Dutt instead of serving a jail term under the Arms Act.

The 48-year-old actor was convicted by the TADA court under the Arms Act for possessing a nine mm pistol and a Ak-56 assault rifle.

He faces a jail term of five to 10 years under the Arms Act for possession of weapons.

In a related development, the court has directed the Mumbai police to file its confidential report on February 28 regarding the threat perception to extradiated gangster and blast accused Abu Salem, who was supposed to be produced in a local court at Delhi in response to a production warrant issued against him in an extortion case.

Advocate Ashok Sarogi, while moving the application on behalf of Salem, told the court that for Mumbai police, taking Salem by a train to Delhi, will take more than 24 hrs to reach the capital.

Also the don has to travel in the general compartment during this journey, which could threaten to his life.

UNI