Court turns down Sanjay Dutt's pleas on surrender

Mumbai, July 31: The designated TADA court today turned down the pleas of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and his friend Yusuf Nulwalla, seeking some time to surrender before jail authorities to undergo the sentences that have been awarded for their involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case.

Jude P D Kode, in his order, observed that there is no provision under the law that the sentence can be suspended or a convict can be given time after the trial court convicted him to undergo imprisonment for more than three years.

He, however, permitted Dutt to make a phone call, through his Advocte Satish Manshinde's cell phone, to his daughter Trishala in US.

After rejection of his request, the actor stepped into the witness box and moved another plea, seeking to lodge him and his friend Nulwalla at Arthur Road prison. His plea was opposed by Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on the ground that the Arthur Road Jail is meant only for undertrials and since the actor had already been sentenced, he should therefore be sent to any other prison in the state, which is meant for the convicts.

Judge Kode, however, directed the Superintendent of Arthur Road Jail Swati Sathe to make a reply in this regard. He also directed the jail officials that both the convicts, Dutt and Nulwalla, should be kept at the Arthur Road Jail till the court decides on their pleas.

The court also directed the jail authorities to give them separate accommodation with all the basic amenities as permissible under the jail manual. The authorities should also take care of their security.

In a related development, the court granted bail to Karsi Adjania, after he was convicted for two years, for three months.

UNI