Verdict on Sanjay Dutt's release plea deferred

Mumbai, Apr 16: A special court here today deferred till May 9 the verdict on the plea of actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted under the Arms Act in the 93 Mumbai blasts case, for release under the Probation of Offender's Act (POA).

The TADA court also postponed its order to May 9 on the plea by 69 other convicts, seeking parity with the Bollywood star in the same case.

Designated TADA judge Pramod D Kode, who was expected to pronounce orders today on the 13 pleas moved by the serial bomb blasts' convicts, could not do so as the judicial work was incomplete.

Soon after the court deferred its ruling, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told mediapersons that since the court had not yet delivered its verdict on various pleas, the final order, which was likely to be announced on April 19, would also get deferred. He said the court could start pronouncing the quantum of punishment to 100 convicts from May 9 or any day after that.

A relaxed looking Dutt was seen interacting with the media, court staff and other convicts in the court today.

Of the 13 applications moved by the convicts, four are from Dutt and his three associates, seeking release under the POA on the ground they were first-time offenders without any criminal past.

Two other convicts, Salim Duranni and Zaibunissa Kazi, had filed similar requests last week. The court order on that has also been deferred till May 9.

Yakub, Yusuf and Issa, brothers of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon, in separate applications, have sought release on medical grounds, while in four applications 69 convicts have sought parity with Dutt. These 69 convicts sought lesser punishment, contending they were not terrorists as the blasts were in retaliation to communal riots in the city in 1992-93 in which their family members had suffered.

Of the total 123 accused, 23 were acquitted by the court for want of evidence.

UNI