Sanjay Dutt and six others appear before TADA court

Mumbai, July 3 (UNI) Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and six others, convicted for their role in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in the city, today appeared before the designated TADA court.

They were directed to come again on July 10.

For first time, all of them, who are on bail, appeared before the Registrar of the court V S Gawas.

TADA Judge P D Kode had a fall in his bathroom due to which he was not able to carry on proceedings of the court for more than two weeks. He had been advised rest by doctors.

So far, the court has sentenced 76 of the 100 guilty.

The Court was in process of awarding sentences to the remaining convicts. Interestingly, in the midst of it, 16 convicts moved a plea, challenging the validity of the TADA act after its expiry in view of the recent Supreme court order stating that punishing TADA accused after its expiry could be a violation of Article 14 (equality before law) of the Constitution.

On hearing the plea, Judge Kode stayed pronouncing the quantum of sentences to the remaining convicts.

According to court sources, the Judge may resume duty from July 9.

Besides Dutt, his three convicted friends Russi Mulla, Karsi Adjania and Yusuf Nallwalla, dismissed custom collector Somnath Thappa, Imtiyaz Ghawte and Rubina Memon, sister-in-law of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon, appeared before the court.

UNI