Dutt withdraws plea seeking stay at Arthur jail

Mumbai, Aug 2: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt today withdrew his plea, seeking the court's nod to keep him at Arthur road jail for undergoing six-year imprisonment handed to him in the Mumbai 93' blast trial.

On July 31, he was sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment under the Arms Act for keeping an AK-56 rifle and an 9 mm pistol at his residence, without legal authorisation.

Soon after the court pronounced the sentence, he moved an application requesting to keep him at Arthur road jail. The application came up for hearing today and jail officials said that Arthur road jail is only meant for undertrials and not convicts.

Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam strongly opposed the plea, based upon the jail officials' reply. He argued that a convict who has been awarded imprisonment is required to do certain amount of work, which is not feasible at Arthur road.

He also pointed out that all the convicts in the Mumbai blasts, who were lodged at Arthur road jail, were shifted to various prisons in the state, the same evening on which their sentences were pronounced. He contended that keeping Sanjay Dutt at Arthur road would amount to partiality and send a wrong message to the public at large.

Mr Ujwal Nikam also brought to the attention of the court that three more accused, extradited gangster Abu Salem, his associate Riyaz Siddique and Mustafa Majnu whose trail has been seperated are lodged in the same jail, giving rise to security concerns. Sanjay Dutt was not produced in court by jail authorities. He was only represented by his lawyer advocate Farhana Shah. She said that the actor wants to remain in Arthur road jail, as he wishes to meet his lawyers to prepare a petition to be filed in the Supreme court, and also his family members who reside in Mumbai.

Prosecutor Nikam strongly opposed the plea and argued that this cannot be a valid ground for keeping the actor in Mumbai. He drew the attention of the court to the jail manual, which stipulates that a convict can meet his relatives only once in a month. Besides, his advocate can meet him at any point of time after seeking permission from court and jail authorities.

At this point of time, defence attorney Farhana Shah announced that on behalf of her client, she is withdrawing his plea.

While talking to reporters later, Mr Ujwal Nikam said that jail authorities are now free to keep the actor in any jail as deemed fit by them.

According to the jail sources, Dutt is likely to be shifted either to Thane or Pune jail. In Pune, the famous Yerwada jail also houses 12 other blasts convicts who are on the death row.

In a related development, Riaz Siddique, an associate of underworld don Abu Salem today moved an application seeking permission to allow him to attend the marriage ceremomy of his daughter to be held later this month on August 10.

The court adjournedhis plea to August 6 with a direction to the prosecution to file their written reply before the date of the hearing. He is currently lodged at Arthur road jail and his trial is yet to begin.

UNI